


Finding You

by tothevision



Category: The Secret Circle (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angry Kissing, Cassie and Faye yell at each other a lot, F/F, Falling In Love, Love, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22839454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tothevision/pseuds/tothevision
Summary: Prompt: "Cassie and Faye are friends. They're starting to get closer and closer to each other. However, Cassie catches Faye and Jake making out in Nick's old room. The day after, Cassie ignores her, which drives Faye crazy. They basically argue more than anything because neither of them wants to admit they might be more than friends."As is a theme with me apparently, I could not make it a one-shot and the silly thing took on a life of its own.
Relationships: Cassie Blake/Faye Chamberlain
Comments: 28
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

“Thanks for volunteering to help me out with this.”  
  
“It’s not like I had a choice,” Faye said. “The others were too busy with their own drama to babysit you and so here I am. Yet again.”  
  
She glared at her. “I don’t need a babysitter.”  
  
“Oh, no? Because you have dark magic? Because you can protect yourself without the Circle now that you have individual powers? You’re an idiot and that’s why you need babysitting. When you get all batshit crazy with power, you’re going to need someone to take you down.”  
  
“And that someone is you?”  
  
“For tonight, if necessary.”  
  
“The irony is astounding. _Faye Chamberlain_ helping me keep the power from going to my head. You would be the worst person to help me if it came to that, which it never will.” She shot her a look. “Besides, you’d probably just try to steal it…again!”  
  
“Probably,” she shrugged unapologetically. “Not like you deserve it anyway.”  
  
“Not with this again,” Cassie groaned.  
  
“Look, like it or not, I would be exactly the kind of person you’d need.”  
  
“And why is that?”  
  
“Because if that happens, I’ll be the one who understands you the most.”

Cassie stopped, staring at her, while Faye kept on walking unbeknownst. She could only see an outline in the dark, shadows from the flashlight bouncing off her, with her long dark hair and leather jacket where she had one hand shoved into the pocket and the other holding a flashlight. Why did that affect her so deeply? It was like the brunette had just unwittingly reached inside of her and pulled something out that Cassie didn’t even know was there to begin with.

“I thought that was already the case."

Faye turned around and looked at her oddly. Cassie blushed, not knowing what came over her.

“I-I-I mean, you’re always claiming you know everything about me,” she stammered.

“I don’t know anything about you,” she shot back, sounding bored, and kept walking. Cassie started moving again too. “I just know your type. What you’re about. If you weren’t in the Circle, I wouldn’t get within twenty feet of you. You’re more exhausting and whiny than the straight and narrow Diana.”  
  
“Have you finished insulting me for the night?”  
  
“Probably not.”  
  
She shook her head bemusedly. “Can’t you just admit that this might be the slightest bit fun?”  
  
“Oh, but, Cassie!” she said mockingly. “You don’t know the meaning of the word!”  
  
“I’m not nearly as uptight as you make me out to be.”  
  
“Then you do a very good job of pretending.”  
  
“If you hate me so much, then why are you out here with me?”  
  
“I already told you that.”  
  
“Right. Saving me from myself.” She rolled her eyes and charged ahead once more to take the lead.  
  
“Lame job, but someone’s got to do it. So can we please do this spell already before I freeze to death or die of boredom, which is likely to happen if I hang around you for too long.”  
  
“Okay, okay, we just need to find a bigger clearing.” She swung her flashlight back and forth, trying to see which way they should go.  
  
“You know, this is weird,” Faye said from behind her. “Why are you suddenly so gung-ho about practicing magic? I seem to recall you wanting nothing to do with it not so very long ago… Like, yesterday?”  
  
“I just thought it’d be worth trying,” she replied, trying to sound casual, and failing.  
  
“Look,” she huffed, throwing her hands in the air, “I'm wandering around with you in the middle of the woods, in the dark, in the cold, carrying nothing but a flashlight, so the least you can do is tell me the truth.”  
  
Cassie looked back at her warily and the soft sounds of them walking across the branches and leaves on the forest floor was all to be heard for a long moment.  
  
“My Mom…” she started quietly, then cleared her throat and tried again. “In my book of shadows, there are some spells that were written in my Mom’s handwriting. There’s also a lot that she wrote notes next to. Spells she liked. I…I wanted to try it. I want to see what she liked to do when she was my age, the kind of magic she tried. It’s a part of her she never shared with me, a part of myself…I…” She shook her head. “I thought that maybe by doing this, it’d be like her getting to share it with me now.”  
  
She finally let herself look back at Faye and found the brunette staring back at her intently. Still, she said nothing.

Uncomfortable with the suddenly far too intimate moment, Cassie turned her focus back on finding a good place for them to use the spell.

Striding out a few paces in front of her, she tried to calm her racing heart. Why did she just say all that? Why? Yes, out of everyone she knew...Faye truly did understand her the most and she was the one Cassie wanted to tell everything to because somehow she felt like Faye would...get it. In a way no one else could. Except, Faye was also the last person she ever wanted to share anything with because Faye liked to wield people's vulnerability as her greatest weapon against them. It was terrifying being around this girl and yet Cassie could think of no other she wanted to be with tonight.

* * *

Finally, they stumbled into a decent sized clearing and deemed it good enough for what they were about to try. Cassie wasn’t sure what the spell was going to do exactly, but her Mom had written in the margins that it needed space and had to be outdoors with no one else nearby for safety.  
  
She opened up the book of shadows to the page she had bookmarked while Faye stood next to her, holding a flashlight over her shoulder so they could read it in the dark. She tried to ignore the weird flip flops in her stomach at the other girl’s proximity.

“That’s the spell?” Faye asked, pointing to the few verses in a language Cassie didn’t know.  
  
“Yeah. Do you know how to pronounce any of this?”  
  
Faye nodded hesitantly. “Some of it looks familiar, some of it doesn’t. Worst thing we can do is try?”  
  
“We got it right when we released the demon out of Heather,” Cassie pointed out hopefully. “We didn’t know the words then either.”  
  
“ _Probably_ not the best example you could use right now…”  
  
Wincing at the memories that brought, she looked up at Faye and nodded in agreement. “However, this definitely isn’t for demons. It’s not dark magic. I can tell. It doesn’t look anything like that other spell we did.”  
  
“So what is it for exactly? What does it do?”  
  
“I’m not sure, but the way my Mom wrote about it, she made it sound like…fun?”  
  
“Well, that’s good enough for me!” Faye chirped. “Let’s do it!”  
  
Cassie nodded and they repeated the words in unison.

  
_Lumina în foc_  
  
_Foc intr-o lumina_  
  
_Lumina de întuneric în care_  
  
_Nimeni nu poate atinge_  
  


There was nothing.  
  
They exchanged a glance before going right back to it and said the chant once more.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
“Are we getting it wrong?” Faye huffed. “Cause otherwise your Mom was a serious bore.”  
  
“Give me your hand,” Cassie demanded.  
  
“What? Why?”  
  
“I don’t know! Just do it!” she insisted and held out her hand for Faye while using the other to hold the book.  
  
It was instinct pulling at her again. No… Not instinct - something deeper, older. She recognized this feeling. It became more and more familiar every time it happened. It was magic…guiding her. The first time she had ever felt this way was on the dock during Faye’s raging storm. Somehow, without understanding what or why, something inside her called out, it let her know what to do and what she needed, it let her feel all the things that surrounded her.

It was power. It was knowledge. It was magic.  
  
So she stopped Faye’s storm.  
  
When Faye’s slender hand first touched hers, the moment their skin came into contact, Cassie gasped. The air between them ignited with an unseen energy, something ancient and magnificent. It was as if by touching Faye, she’d opened the doors between them and let magic find its rightful place, where it desperately longed to be…joined.

Faye’s breathing grew unsteady beside her. They were jerked together suddenly. The force of it had Cassie drop the book and Faye dropped her flashlight.  
  
Without thinking, Cassie started to chant the spell from memory and Faye joined in unison.  
  
A brilliant bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and electricity crackled through the air. The two girls cried out in shock and were thrown back onto the ground. It didn't disappear though. It stayed there, suspended above the ground. The light was so pure, so white, it threatened to blind them.  
  
What was once a thin streak was now sucking energy from the forest around it, pulling in inside, until the light started to take a different shape, growing rounder and rounder. It became an orb, hovering several feet above the ground. The trees were creaking as their roots were stretched, this energy was trying to draw them forward, but they stubbornly held back. Branches and leaves and dirt all got swept up into this conjuring force that absorbed it all into itself.  
  
Cassie lowered her hand from her eyes cautiously, the light didn’t seem so bright anymore, and what she saw made her jaw drop in wonder.  
  
“Oh my God…” Faye murmured softly beside her, their hands were still tightly linked as they held onto each other for dear life.  
  
The white energy had transformed and now they were staring into this shimmering orb that had blue, green, and brown swirling around inside it. They were colors she recognized, but had never seen such a beautiful, extraordinary shade before.  
  
Carefully, they got to their feet and approached the orb one tiny step at a time. The closer Cassie got, the warmer the air became. Electricity crackled all around them, dancing across her skin, but she wasn’t afraid. Somehow she knew this wouldn’t harm her. As she stared deeper into the ball, she could hear the wind blowing, the trees creaking, the animals chattering.  
  
It was the essence of the forest, she realized. That’s what it had absorbed. They were staring into the heart of these woods and it was the most glorious sight - such color, such beauty, such wonder.  
  
Cassie reached out to touch it, but Faye jerked her back fearfully.  
  
_It’s alright. It’s safe. Don’t worry._  
  
Faye loosened her grip enough to let Cassie move forward again, as if she'd heard her speak, but Cassie had never opened her mouth.  
  
She let her hand trail around the edge of the orb, unable to tear her eyes away for a single moment. Then she saw another hand on the opposite side. It was Faye’s.  
  
Together they reached inside and Cassie’s body was taken over by a force unlike anything she’d experienced before.  
  
She no longer heard the wind, but was the wind. She could taste the fresh pine needles on her tongue. She was strong. She was solid. She was warm. She was there and everywhere.  
  
She was the forest itself.  
  
Laughing breathlessly, she cried out, her voice joining with Faye’s as it echoed through the woods. Soon, they could feel their time was ending. Together, in perfect sync, they pulled their hands out and took hold of the orb on either side and thrust it back into the air. It shot up like a bolt into the clouds, stretching out into the form of lightning again, and exploded behind the clouds. It was a brief but brilliant flash that lit up the night sky before it was finally gone.  
  
The wind settled down again and the trees stopped rustling. The ground stilled once more. In the silence of the forest, only their combined harsh breaths could be heard.  
  
“Now that…” Faye panted and looked at Cassie with wide eyed excitement, “was freaking amazing.”  
  
“Yeah…” Cassie murmured breathlessly. She tilted her head back at the sky in wonderment. “It kind of was, wasn’t it?”  
  
“Your Mom must have been so cool if this was the kind of stuff she used to just make up! I mean, did you _feel_ that?”  
  
“We became a part of our surroundings. A part of the earth… It went inside of us or-or we went into it…” She frowned as she tried to figure out just what exactly had taken place.  
  
Faye was grinning from ear to ear. “I’ve never done anything like that before. I never knew it was possible…”  
  
Cassie had never seen Faye so perfectly happy before. There wasn’t a hint of the usual sarcastic, cold, and bitchy demeanor she always had about her. She was like a child with a new toy. Eager. Excited. Innocent. Pure.  
  
“Can we do that?” she asked. “I mean, make up our own spells? Just like that? Are we powerful enough?”

“Well, I thought we already were making up spells,” Faye replied, “but apparently I was wrong. Your Mom just proved that we are serious amateurs.”  
  
“For a reason.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“We’re amateurs because we have no one to teach us. Not like our parents did.”  
  
Faye sobered at the thought and turned up to the sky once more, only to see that there was no trace left of what they had just experienced. It was just a blanket of darkness dotted with tiny stars. Just then, they realized that they were still holding hands. They'd never let go once during the whole thing. As soon as they both looked down, they let go and jumped apart, not looking each other in the eye.  
  
“So…um…I guess we’re done for the night,” Cassie mumbled, embarrassed, though she couldn’t pinpoint why she was so embarrassed exactly.

“Let’s head back to the car.” The brunette took off without waiting for a response, picking up her flashlight and the book of shadows off the ground.

“Faye?”

She turned around with a sigh.

“Will you practice again with me sometime?”

“Yeah, right!” She snorted and kept walking.

A surprising amount of disappointment overwhelmed Cassie. She couldn’t even fathom the idea of asking anyone else in the Circle to do this with her. It felt like practically sacrilege to attempt this with anyone else. But she wasn’t given any more time than that to ruminate on it.

“Sometime?” Faye said loudly, shaking her head in disbelief as she trudged through the woods. “Are you insane? We’re doing this again tomorrow!”

A thrill of delight surged through Cassie’s veins and a tiny smile graced her lips as she rushed to catch up with the taller girl who was already well ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, haven’t seen you around for a while,” Adam jogged up beside her as Cassie was making her way through the halls to her next class.  
  
“What do you mean?” she frowned. “I’m in school everyday…”  
  
“Yeah, but you know…you haven’t stopped by the Boathouse, you don’t return my calls…”  
  
“I’ve just been busy.” She shrugged. “School and spending some time with my grandmother. Why do you sound so worried?”  
  
“Because I am. So are Diana and Melissa.”  
  
“What? Why? You’ve all been talking about me?”  
  
“You and the _other_ person you seem to be spending all your time with…” He gave her a knowing look. “What are you doing with Faye?”  
  
“Faye? We’re not…we’re not doing anything. I mean, we’ve hung out a few times, but-“  
  
“Try every night.”  
  
She spun around on him, clutching her books tighter to her chest. “Are you following me now?”  
  
“She’s not the kind of person you should be spending so much time with. Faye can be a really bad influence. It sneaks up on you.”

_Oh, they were so not going there._

“Adam,” she held up a hand to stop him, “Look, I get that you’re concerned and it’s nice of you to care, but to be honest, it’s none of your business who I spend my time with and I don’t appreciate this weird stalkerish thing you’re doing right now. You’re kind of freaking me out. The fact is, if I want to hang out with Faye, I will.”

She gave him a pointed look before walking off to class leaving behind a frustrated boy.

* * *

A couple weeks later, Cassie wasn’t feeling well, having caught a bug that was going around. She’d slept through most of the day, skipping school after her grandmother told her she couldn’t go in with a fever. She felt a little better after sleeping so much, but was still in no condition to go out. Her grandmother left for the night shift at the hospital with strict instructions for Cassie to stay hydrated and stay on bed rest.

It was surprising how disappointed she was to have to make the phone call to Faye to tell her they couldn’t practice any new spells tonight. She’d gotten so used to their nightly routine by now that she actually hated the thought of not being able to make it. What she really didn’t want to admit to herself was that it was actually not being able to see _Faye_ that bothered her the most.

Of course, the phone call didn’t go over well. Faye was furious that she was backing out just because of a “measly little fever” and told her she needed to get her ass out of bed and meet her at the abandoned house like they planned. Cassie refused, but Faye wasn’t taking no for an answer. When the other girl hung up on her, Cassie stared at her cell in disbelief.

What was Faye getting so bent out of shape for? It was one night!

Now she was expecting Faye to show up at her door any minute and forcibly drag her out of bed.

And show up at her door, she did, but not the front door, it was Cassie's _bedroom_ door. In a true Faye fashion, she had of course, let herself in. Cassie steeled herself, clutching her quilt, anticipating the fight, but then she saw what Faye was carrying.

To her complete and utter shock, Faye didn’t try to drag her out of bed. Instead, she stood in the doorway to Cassie's room and rolled her eyes at her being laid up in bed, before simply walking in without a word and set a container of what she was pretty sure was chicken noodle soup, on her bedside table. She stared at her with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. Faye shoved her lightly and it took a little more pushing before Cassie actually realized she wanted her to move over. When she did, Faye took off her shoes and climbed into the bed under the blankets with her.

“So what are we watching?” She gestured to the TV and started searching for the remote without waiting for an answer.

She was speechless, unable to do anything but stare at the girl next to her.

“This movie sucks,” Faye groaned and finally found the remote. “Not happening.” She started flipping through the channels.

The blonde settled down against the pillows warily and then looked back over at Faye.

“Why are you here?” she asked, finally finding her voice again. “Don’t you have anything more exciting to do tonight then hang out with me while I’m sick?”

“Sadly, no. It’s Chance Harbor. It’s either this or sitting at home with my _mother_ … I picked the lesser evil.”

“Aren’t you worried you’ll catch whatever I have?”

“Nope,” she replied with a pop of her lips and leaned over to turn off the lamp next to the bed, blanketing them in darkness with only the glare from the TV on them now. "Huh."

"What?"

Faye had her head tilted back at the galaxy spread across the ceiling. "Didn't peg you for the type that needed a glow-in-the dark nightlight."

"This was my Mom's room," she said quietly, looking up as well. "Those are her stars."

"Oh."

She didn't say anything more, instead focused on looking for something to watch again, but Cassie caught her eyes flickering back up at the ceiling every now and again.

“Did you actually bring me chicken noodle soup?”

“I picked it up on the way here,” she said defensively. “I didn’t want you whining about being hungry or something stupid like that.”

Cassie really couldn’t fathom another thing to say. Faye finally decided on a movie and sat back. Cassie ended up watching Faye more than the movie. She wasn’t sure if it actually happened or if it was a fever-induced dream, but at some point Faye heated up the soup she brought and served it to her so she wouldn't have to get out of bed.

When she woke the next morning, Faye was gone, which made the whole experience seem even more dreamlike. But when she snuggled back into her pillows she discovered that Faye’s perfume still lingered. As she lay there wonderingly, Cassie found herself turning her face back into Faye’s pillow. For some reason, she actually loved being able to smell the other girl on her sheets.

She must still have a fever. That was the only answer.

Two days later, Cassie was better and back in school. At lunch she sat with Melissa because they were the only two of the Circle to share the same lunch period. After a while of chatting and Melissa filling her in on the things she missed while she was out sick, she mentioned a major party that happened downtown a couple days ago. People were saying it was one of the best blow-outs of the year.

“It was so weird that Faye didn’t show,” Melissa said, picking through her salad with a fork. “She practically lives for those raves. I can’t believe she skipped it. And what’s even weirder is that she still won’t tell me where she was.”

Cassie knew exactly where Faye was that night.

* * *

“Would you wake up already?” Faye snapped as she paced back and forth in front of Cassie who was curled up on the couch. “Doing magic when you’re half asleep is guaranteed to have something go wonky. Especially with you!”

They were in the abandoned house again, opting for that minimal warmth and protection, rather than facing frostbite in the woods or hypothermia by the water. Over the past few weeks, they’d been going all over town to practice their magic. Sometimes it was new spells, sometimes it was attempting better control on old ones, and sometimes it was just making up some of their own. They were so in sync now that the rest of the Circle was actually put off by it. They didn’t understand how Cassie and Faye had managed to exceed them all by leaps and bounds. The two girls acted as though they could do it in their sleep when the rest were struggling to catch up.

“Excuse you! I’m not the one with control problems here. Are you forgetting the fire at the dance? The storm? Hell, even my car!”  
  
“That’s all been taken care of since you people stole my magic. A job _so_ well done! Also, the car was totally your fault.”

“You still have your magic!” She exclaimed exasperatedly, tired of having this argument. “Get over it already.”

“Just wake yourself up, okay?” Faye shot back. “Before I have to drown you in coffee or slap you. And not necessarily in that order.”

“I’m exhausted,” she whined. “I had three tests today and we were here until one o’clock in the morning last night.”  
  
“Slapping and coffee…”  
  
“Okay, okay,” Cassie muttered and sat up with the book in her hands. Faye promptly settled in beside her, snatching the book away, and leisurely stretched her long legs out over Cassie’s lap, her back against the arm of the couch.  
  
“So which one are we doing tonight?”  
  
“I’m still waiting for the ingredients to arrive in the mail for the other one we talked about.” Cassie yawned.  
  
“Alright, so this one!” Faye flipped to a page in the book and pointed to what she wanted.  
  
“Sure,” she mumbled, snuggling into the couch cushions.  
  
“Cassie!”  
  
“What?”  
  
“This is ridiculous, we’re never going to make it work if you’re half passed out.”  
  
“M’sorry…” Her eyes fluttered open halfway before closing altogether.  
  
“God,” Faye slammed the book shut and tossed it on the table. “Such a waste of time. Come on, I’m driving you home.”  
  
“But I drove us here?”  
  
“That’s right! And after I drop your sorry ass off at your house, I’ll be stealing your car.”  
  
“Mmm.” She nodded with her eyes still closed. “Sounds fair.”  
  
Faye chuckled. “Oh my God, you are out of it. Come on.” She went to pull Cassie upright, sliding her arm around the girl’s waist and grunted with effort as she lifted her. “Stand up. I am _not_ carrying you.”  
  
Cassie nodded bravely and summoned the strength to get herself off the couch. She managed to make it into an upright position and braced herself on Faye’s shoulders.  
  
“I’m getting up,” she mumbled, “I am.”  
  
It was then that she realized how intimately close they were. Her hands on Faye’s shoulders, Faye’s arms around her waist, their fronts pressed against each other. Faye seemed to realize it too because her eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise.

They truly were the most amazing eyes, Cassie thought in wonder. They had always seemed so dark before, so distant and unknown to her, but now that she was up close, Cassie could see all the different colors there. They weren’t dark at all, instead they were almost completely green with flecks of light brown. Strange. How did she ever think they were dark at all? She’d never seen such a bright and beautiful mix of hazel before. It reminded her of that night in the forest when they cast that elements spell (its what they decided to call it since it turned out to be able to embody all four). Incredible…Faye was as wild and unpredictable as nature itself, and she was just as beautiful. Cassie was falling so deep into those eyes, into that intensity that had made her tremble from day one. She felt the same stirring that she had the first time they met that day in the hallway at school.

_'So, you're the new girl...'  
'Yeah, that's me.'  
'You're very pretty.'  
Cassie's heart thundered against her chest and Faye gave her a wolfish grin._  
_'Try it again.'  
Faye walked away and the lock opened.  
Cassie could only stare after her...equal parts aroused, intrigued, and irritated by the enigma._

But right now those eyes weren’t staring back at her. They had dropped to her mouth. Cassie’s whole body flushed with desire. She unconsciously wet her lips as anticipation coiled through her, winding its way through her chest, her stomach, and much lower. What was happening? What were they doing? Why was Faye looking at her like…  
  
Just like she so desperately wanted her to?  
  
Frightened, but far more excited, Cassie trembled as she leaned just a little bit closer. Faye was moving in too. Her scent surrounded her again. What had been left behind on her sheets might as well have been left by a ghost because here it was real and ever so intoxicating. Faye was all around her. She wanted to grab hold and never let go, to have that with her always.

Cassie’s gaze dropped as well, to those full, luscious lips that she wanted nothing more than to taste at this very moment. Would it be as wonderful as she imagined to feel them pressed against hers? She tightened her grip on Faye’s shoulders and just as they were about to meet, her hands were empty, and Faye was gone.  
  
The brunette had ripped herself out of Cassie's hold, grabbed her jacket, and was running out the door before Cassie could say a word.  
  
Stunned, she just sat there. Her heart told her to cry, but her body couldn’t handle it, and her mind was a blank. She could feel nothing but pain right now. Never had a rejection been so thoroughly devastating as this one. She felt like she’d been shattered from the inside out and never wanted to move again. When she started gasping for air, she realized she’d even stopped breathing.  
  
It took her some time after sitting there like a stone to realize that Faye had no way to get home. Cassie’s keys were still in her pocket and she hadn’t heard a car so she knew Faye had taken off on foot. Worry overtook the ache in her chest and she jumped up to grab her things, following after Faye. She couldn’t have gone far. No matter what just happened between them, Cassie couldn’t just let Faye be out there alone. It was too far a distance for her to walk home, especially at night.

But she couldn’t find her anywhere. She must have called Faye’s phone over a dozen times, but there was no answer. After about an half an hour of driving all over town, looking for any sign of her, she began to really panic. What if something had happened to her? What if there were witch hunters? What if there were just the regular non-magic bad guys? Faye had no individual powers, no way to protect herself. She shouldn’t have run off alone! What was she thinking?

“Damn it, Faye!” Cassie slammed her hands against the steering wheel.

Desperate, she tried calling the only person she could think of that might be able to help her.

_“Hey, Cassie.”_

_“Melissa! Have you heard from Faye?”_

_“Uh, yeah, actually. I just dropped her off at her house. She called me for a ride a little while ago. Everything alright?”_

_“Oh. Good. Um. Y-yeah. Yeah. Everything’s fine. She was just…she wasn’t picking up her phone.”_

_“Ah. She was in one of her oh-so-very_ _Faye_ _moods tonight so don’t worry about it. Whatever her deal is, she’ll be back to her delightfully bitchy self tomorrow.”_

Cassie forced a chuckle. _“Totally. Well, thanks anyway. We have to look out for each other, you know? All that’s been happening to us lately…”_

_“You don’t need to remind me. But it’s okay. We’re in it together, we’ve got each other’s backs.”_

_“Thanks, Melissa.”_

They said goodnight then Cassie threw her phone onto the passenger seat and leaned her head against the cool window.

At least Faye was safe.

The same couldn’t be said for her though.


	3. Chapter 3

She was a nervous wreck when she walked into school the next morning and it didn’t help that she hadn’t been able to sleep at all. She replayed every second of last night with Faye over in her head, again and again. Every look. Every touch. Every breath. Before she knew it, her alarm clock was going off and her grandmother was calling her down for breakfast.

A part of her didn’t want to see Faye. Was afraid to see her actually. She was already so hurt and bewildered by all that had happened, she didn’t know what it would do to her to actually see her again. The memory of her running out the door was too much to bear.

But the other part of her _needed_ to see Faye - to somehow make sense of what was happening between them. Something she had never known before. Maybe if she could see Faye, in the cold, harsh light of day, she could see the truth once and for all. She would know. When they weren’t cloaked by the dark woods or a candle-lit abandoned house. Here it would be all out on display. No more hiding.

“Is everything alright?”

She heard the voice right next to her ear and jumped a mile out of her skin.

“Adam!” she cried, clutching her chest. “Jeez. You scared the hell out of me.”

He looked at her in puzzlement.

“I called your name like five times. Are you okay? You look…”

“I look what?” she snapped.

“Tired,” he admitted and stepped in closer. “You look completely exhausted actually. Cassie…what’s going on with you?”

“Nothing,” she muttered and leaned against the lockers.

“You don’t have to lie to me, I can see something’s really bothering you. Hey…” He reached out and touched her cheek gently, urging her to look at him. “You can talk to me.”

Her eyes welled up with tears as flashes of last night burned into her head again.

“It’s nothing,” she croaked.

Adam exhaled in frustration, obviously not believing her in the least, but he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere this way.

“Okay. I get it. If you need someone to talk to though, I’m here. Why don’t you stop by the Boathouse tonight? I’ll make you dinner with my very own two hands.”

She managed to break out of her mood long enough to give him a scathing look and he laughed.

“And I promise not to poison you in the process.”

“It’s sweet of you to offer but…”

“It’s just for the company. You look like you could use some of that right now.”

Cassie sighed and stood up straight again, which ended up putting her in closer proximity to Adam than she had been in weeks. He sucked in a breath and she knew what that meant, cringing inwardly.

“Hey, uh, I know you mean well and I appreciate the offer. That and just…everything you’ve done for me since I moved here." She sighed forlornly and took his hand, squeezing it. "You’ve been nothing but kind, welcoming, and just a really amazing friend. I can’t thank you enough for that. You helped me feel safer here, like I had someone on my side.”

He pulled his hand away and started fidgeting. “This doesn’t sound like it’s going anywhere good…” he said tersely, avoiding her gaze.

“It hurts me to say it-”

“Then don’t say it,” he pleaded and suddenly she was staring into red-rimmed eyes.

It tugged at her heart all the more.

“I have to,” she replied helplessly. “You’re my friend, one of my best friends, but I can’t be what you want. Not that way.”

Cassie knew she was breaking his heart, but there was nothing else she could do to ease his pain. It was better to tell him now what she had known for a while rather than let this continue any longer. She had been putting it off because she didn’t want to hurt him, but now she could see there was no getting out of this without at least one of them being hurt.

Would that be the case with her and Faye? Was she going to be the one hurt?

If that was true, if Faye didn’t share at least a little bit of what Cassie was feeling, then why did she look at her in that… _way_? Why did she let them get so close? Why did she run away?

“Did Diana get to you?” he tried. “Is this because you don’t want to hurt her feelings? Cassie, she’ll get over it. She would want us to be happy.”

“It has nothing to do with Diana.”

“Then…then is there someone else?” he asked hoarsely.

She remembered Faye poring over the book of shadows last night, the way her long legs had stretched out over hers, how she liked the weight of them on her, the devious glint in her mahogany eyes, the sly smile she gave when she looked up at her from the pages.

Cassie's heart slammed into her throat.

“W-what?” she stammered, frozen in shock. “No. N-no. Of course not. Who else would there be?”

He couldn’t know! Could he?

“There’s Jake.” He shrugged lifelessly, having fixed his gaze directly on the lockers over her shoulder by now.

She caught herself before letting out a huge sigh of relief.

Of course he didn’t know.

She didn’t even really know herself.

What was there to know?

“No, there isn’t.” She shook her head firmly. “There’s no Jake.”

Somehow this seemed to hurt him even more. Now the answer wasn’t so easy. There wasn’t anyone else for him to blame. She was just rejecting him, plain and simple. Understanding all too well what he was feeling right now, Cassie didn’t know what else to do but wrap her arms around his shoulders and hug him.

“I’m _so_ sorry,” she murmured.

He only let her hold him like that for a few seconds, never lifting his arms, then broke away without a word, and walked off towards the double doors that led outside the school. Cassie knew she wasn’t going to see him again today.

With a sigh, she turned around in the opposite direction and went to her locker. The bell would ring soon and she was going to be late.

She never saw Faye disappear around the corner.

* * *

When she came home that night, it was to an empty house. Her grandmother was working the night shift again. There was a note about dinner left in the oven for her, but she had no appetite. Today had been one of the most depressing, hurtful days she’d ever had since arriving in Chance Harbor. After the heartrending encounter with Adam, she found out that Faye had decided to handle their situation by completely ignoring her existence. The brunette never met her eyes, never said a word. Not even when Cassie confronted her directly.

Instead, she’d just walked around her with Melissa, saying something about how the 'noise pollution' in this school was getting worse. That combined with the flashes of last night continually forcing their way into her head throughout the day… It was too much.

She couldn’t stop thinking about it. She couldn’t stop picturing Faye’s lips, so close to her, the way she had leaned in, the vulnerability in her eyes, the need, the _desire_ … She also couldn’t forget the sight of Faye’s back as she ran out.

What was going on with her? With them? Did she actually… No, she couldn’t! It wasn’t possible. She wasn’t even interested in girls like that.

Then again…

She could have liked Adam. She could have liked Jake.

But she didn’t.

Why was Faye able to make her feel all these things that she’d never known before? It went beyond some kind of magical connection, though that was strange too. She managed to connect to Faye with their powers more deeply and easily than she did with any other member of the Circle. With them, she had to concentrate, work hard to focus on joining with them. But with Faye…it was so perfectly natural. Something between them was always crying out, always trying to meet, always trying to find each other. It wasn’t a product of them practicing so often lately because she had felt it the first time their magic ever collided.

The night Faye started the storm.

But Faye knew it even earlier than that, didn't she? Their energy connected when Faye set her car on fire the day they met. Cassie didn't know nearly enough to be able to recognize it then, but Faye certainly did. Sure, the girl had apologized later...sort of. She still half blamed Cassie for it going from smoke to flames. She said it was Cassie's panic that latched onto her energy and ignited the low smolder into a roar of fire.

An apt metaphor for their relationship.

Ugh. What relationship?

Miserable and confused, Cassie trudged upstairs to her bedroom, planning for an early night - anything to get rid of the tormenting thoughts of a certain dark haired girl. She dropped her bag uncaringly on the floor and was about to dive into her bed, when movement outside her window caught her eye.

She knew Jake must be home and with nothing better to do but explore her curiosity, she went to see what he was doing.

God, how she wished she hadn't.

Her heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest. She could hardly breathe. Tears were in her eyes before she could stop them.

Jake wasn’t alone.

* * *

Faye was down to her bra and jeans, but it looked like they were soon to follow the jacket and shirt that lay strewn on the floor. She had her legs wrapped around his waist, her mouth attached to his as he carried her to the bed and they fell down together. Cassie watched Faye stretch her arms above her head to allow Jake better access to her throat, to her breasts…to everything.

Struggling to breathe, to even _see_ through her blurred vision, she threw the curtains shut. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know to stand, to sit, or to just fall onto the floor.

It was out of her control. She was desperate, in pain, angry, and devastated. Magic started building inside her rapidly. There was nothing she could do, though she desperately tried to stop it. It was like panic bubbling up inside her, but it was so powerful. She braced her hands against the wall, willing herself to wrest back control, but the image was burned into her head. She felt sick.

_Faye and Jake._

It built too fast and it was too strong. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Magic unleashed in a scream, glass flew everywhere, and Cassie dove away to avoid the flying pieces. Breathing hard, she looked up and there was nothing there. It was quiet. The curtains were gently ruffling in the wind as the frigid winter air poured in.

She’d shattered her window.

Feeling weak and unsteady, she got to her feet while using the bed for support. Glass was littered all around her. When she reached the window again, she pushed back the curtains, and was met with another surprise.

Jake’s window had exploded as well.

Faye appeared at the sill, unharmed, but shocked. Their eyes met across and a dark shadow of anger fell over her face.

“WHAT IS _WRONG_ WITH YOU?”

“Me?” Cassie countered weakly. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Like hell you didn’t!”

Infuriated, Faye spun away from the window with a growl and marched straight to Jake’s door. He tried to stop her with a hand on her arm, but she yanked away from him.

“Get the fuck off me!”

Faye stormed right out of the Armstrong’s house, in nothing but her bra and jeans, and over to the Blakes in less than a minute, but Cassie rushed down the stairs and managed to make it to the front door just in time to lock it.

Faye rattled the handle and when it didn't work, she started pounding relentlessly on the wood.

“OPEN IT RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL BREAK IT DOWN!”

“Leave me alone, Faye!” Cassie yelled back desperately.

She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to do this.

“You tried to kill me!”

“I did not! That's ridiculous!”

“Then why is there glass in my hair right now!?”

“I told you, I don't know!”

“Fucking hell…” Faye muttered and kicked the door angrily.

She knew it was useless, but she tried to use her powers to unlock the door anyway.

And by some strange miracle, it actually _worked_.

The lock clicked open.

But Faye didn’t stop to question it and barged right in. Cassie whirled around in surprise to see a shirtless Faye marching towards her angrily.

“How did you-!”

“What is your goddamn problem? Why would you do that?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? It wasn’t me!”

“Stop lying!” she growled. “You are such a selfish, jealous, spoiled little bitch! You just can’t _stand_ it when everyone isn’t falling over your holier-than-thou self! It always has to be all about _Cassie_! Cassie is so pretty! Cassie has all the boys drooling! Cassie has individual powers! So when someone else gets attention for one _second_ , taking away your bubble of Cassie-world, you can’t handle it!”

And just like that, Cassie saw red.

“Me?” she cried in disbelief.

Rage whipped through her so fast. The explosion of dark magic hadn't dissipated completely yet. She could still feel the remnants thrumming in her blood, could taste it on her tongue. And she was so...so angry.

“Look who’s talking! You are _so_ desperate for attention, you’d fuck anything that breathes if you thought it’d get you something in return. Your obsession with power is borderline pathological. You’d do anything to feel like you’re in control, trying to manipulate people just to make yourself feel better. Jake?” She gestured to Faye’s half naked attire. “Exhibit A! But it doesn’t work, does it? They always end up using _you_ and you’re the one who ends up the pathetic loser. Weak, powerless, and alone. So don't think for one moment that you can make this about me when we all know you're the one who is so fucking terrified that you'll never be enough.”

Faye glared at her for a long, hard moment before swallowing thickly. The fire had been extinguished and it was like she was folding in on herself. For the first time since walking through the door, she seemed to realize that she wasn’t wearing a shirt and self-consciously put her arms across her chest in a futile attempt to cover herself.

The pain in Faye’s eyes twisted Cassie’s heart.

Why? Why did she have to hurt her like that again? Wasn’t that night at her grandfather’s lake house enough? Didn’t she learn her lesson then that Faye wasn’t nearly as tough as she made herself out to be? Her body ached with the knowledge she had so deeply cut this girl again. She wanted to take it all back - every single word of it.

Faye nodded slowly, as if to forfeit, then started to back away. Cassie could have sworn she was trying to hold back tears. Without another word, she turned around to leave.

“Why _him_?” she asked despairingly in a last ditch attempt. The anger was gone now. Only heartbreak remained. “Why do you always go back to him?”

Faye stopped and Cassie thought it was because of what she said, but after a moment she realized that Faye wasn’t listening to her, instead she was scrutinizing the doorknob. Finally, the brunette looked back at her, brow drawn in confusion.

“How did the lock open?”

“What?”

“You know the deal. At least two of us have to want it for the Circle’s magic to work.” Faye took a step forward accusingly. “That’s why the lock opened. You _wanted_ to let me in here.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” she protested. “I tried to keep you out!”

The door cracked open, startling them both. Jake stuck his head in, holding Faye’s forgotten jacket and shirt in his hand.

“Hey…guys…everything alright here?”

The lights flickered violently in the house and, without warning, a lamp shattered next to his head. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding anything cutting him.

“Goddammit, Cassie!” Faye exclaimed.

The blonde just shook her head stubbornly, unwilling to admit that she’d just _accidentally_ tried to smash Jake in the face with a lamp.

“What the hell was that?” he cried.

Faye grabbed her clothes out of his hand and shoved him back onto the porch. “You’re done here. Leave us alone.”

She slammed the door in his face and locked it, glancing at the shattered lamp while hastily pulling her shirt over her head.

“I didn’t mean to…” Cassie mumbled. “It was an accident. I couldn’t-“

“Why are you so pissed off at Jake?” Faye tossed her jacket onto the stairs. “I thought you were all googly eyed for Adam. What’s the matter? Did you want them both?”

“I don’t _care_ about Jake!” she shot back heatedly. “Or Adam for that matter…”

“A hell of a lot of things are getting broken right now because of you ‘not caring’.”

“You need to leave.”

“And yet you wanted me in here.”

“No!" she insisted. "No, I didn’t! _You’re_ the one who pushed your way in. Why are you even here, Faye? You could obviously be having a better time with someone else.”

“Because you smashed the fucking window!”

“Is that it? That’s all?”

Instead of replying, Faye snatched her by front of her shirt and Cassie tried to pull away.

“Get off me!”

“No.”

“I’m serious, Faye!” She struggled against her. “Get the hell off me!”

The brunette used a surprising amount of force to push her back. Cassie gasped when she was slammed against the wall.

“Make me.”

Her eyes went wide.

“You want me to let go? _Make me_.” Faye pressed up against her firmly, her hands on Cassie’s waist. ”Use your power. You know you can do it. Throw me across the room.”

They were both panting now.

“Well?”

Tossing everything aside, Cassie reached up and pulled Faye down to meet her lips.


	4. Chapter 4

It took her a moment to move past the panic over what she’d just done to realize that _Faye_ …was kissing her back. When that hit her, all else was lost. Cassie moaned and wrapped her arms around Faye’s shoulders, their lips meeting over and over again. Her knees almost gave out when Faye’s tongue brushed against her bottom lip, testing, asking… Without hesitation, she gave her permission and Faye eagerly delved into her mouth with such intensity, Cassie was doing everything she could to keep up without falling to pieces. She’d never had anyone kiss her like this before, with such fierceness, hunger, desire. It ignited her body in a way she only had a pale shade of comparison to before.

Faye’s hands were far from still as they roamed frantically. She clutched at Cassie’s back, thrust her fingers into her hair, caressed her neck, then she dropped down to Cassie’s ass and yanked her hard against her so their lower bodies met just as the rest of them were. Her lips were so sweet, yet brutal in their assault.

This was happening. This was _actually_ happening.

She was kissing Faye Chamberlain.

Her brain couldn’t even comprehend the fact that they were fumbling their way towards the couch and the realization only hit her fully when she landed on her back with Faye on top of her. Instinctively, she parted her legs enough to cradle the other girl between her thighs.

Faye was all around her, on top of her, kissing her, her hands in so many places that Cassie couldn’t keep track, only enough to moan as a result. For all the times that she had fantasized about it, and yes, she had fantasized even if she never wanted to admit it to herself before, it turned out that Faye in reality was far better than the Faye in her mind. Her mouth was sweeter, her lips fuller, softer, her hands more demanding yet not as frighteningly forceful as Cassie would have thought.

Faye was simply consuming her.

When she heard the pop of the buttons on her shirt, she gasped, mostly from desire, but she couldn't deny the underlying trepidation at the same time. This was moving very…very fast. Yet, she didn’t want it to stop. Not yet. Please, not yet. Faye unbuttoned her shirt in a matter of seconds and she groaned with pleasure when those soft, warm hands came into contact with her bare skin. Faye swept over her stomach, before following the same path with her mouth. Cassie whimpered and threaded her fingers in the long, dark hair as Faye’s lips traveled across newly revealed skin. When she reached her bra-clad breasts, there was no hesitation. Cassie pulled her back up to her mouth and squeezed her hips between her legs.

“Faye…” she moaned against her lips, absent of thought, only how her body was reacting.

The other girl said nothing, but responded with vigor. If possible, her kisses grew even more intense, deeper, and...incredible. Cassie wanted to do this every day for the rest of her life. Just to have those lips on her.

Then Faye’s hand dropped below her stomach and, though she felt the jolt of arousal, panic overwhelmed her. She wasn’t ready for this.

“W-wait,” she stammered, stilling Faye’s hand with her own. “I can’t,” she said between pants, “I can’t do this.”

Faye stopped immediately. Which was a surprise because she was a girl on a mission, a storm in and of herself, and for a moment there, it didn’t seem like there would be anything that could stop her from getting what she wanted.

Quiet, panting heavily, Faye gazed down at her with glassy eyes, pupils blown, and swollen lips. Incredulous, Cassie marveled at how that had been of her own doing. As she hovered above her, Faye was the epitome of pure desire, absolute lust, utter want and Cassie let out the tiniest whimper.

She did that. To _Faye_. Because Faye wanted it too.

She realized too late that there was something else happening for Faye.

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, Faye untangled herself and stood quickly. Cassie instantly mourned the loss of her delicious weight on top of her, how warm, soft, and perfect it was.

“Right,” Faye said unsteadily. “I’m out of here.”

“Wait, don’t go yet,” Cassie replied, still trying to gain her bearings after the assault she’d just experienced. “You don’t have to go.”

“To hell with this,” the brunette muttered to herself, turning to walk away. “To hell with you.”

“Faye!” Cassie leaped up, half off the couch, and grabbed her arm, yanking hard to make sure she wouldn’t try to move any further.

“What?” she barked. “God! What do you _want_ from me?”

She had her head turned away so her long dark hair blocked her face.

Cassie was at a loss. “Why are you being like this?”

She turned back abruptly, facing her, and Cassie was shocked by how absolutely humiliated she looked. The harshness in her voice didn’t remotely match what she clearly seemed to be feeling. What did Faye have to be embarrassed about?

“I don’t need this kind of…”

Cassie didn’t hear what came after than because the other girl dropped to an unintelligible mumble. And there it was. The reason.

Faye was _hurt_.

She thought Cassie was rejecting her.

“It’s not like that,” she said softly. Her grip on Faye’s wrist loosened, but still she held on just in case. “I didn’t mean you. It’s not you. I just meant I wasn’t ready for… _that_ …yet.”

Faye looked down at her sharply and Cassie blushed under the scrutiny. She knew she had no reason to be embarrassed, but she still felt a little of it under Faye’s piercing gaze.

“You’re a virgin,” she said flatly.

It wasn’t a question, there was no judgment, no reassurance – just a statement. Cassie quickly nodded for confirmation.

She watched, confounded, as Faye’s body went slack with relief. She looked so afraid, as if she'd been bracing herself for a blow, and then Cassie's explanation was enough for her to let some of that tension let go. Still worried, but trusting that she wouldn't run off now, Cassie let go of her wrist. Faye’s shoulders slumped and she ran her fingers through her hair with a loud exhale.

Cassie was utterly taken aback by this visceral response. Was Faye really that upset by the possibility of Cassie rejecting her? It boggled her mind to think that Faye Chamberlain would care so much - care about _her_ that much.

“I get it,” Faye said quietly. “I’m still gonna go though, okay?”

Cassie scrambled off the couch, re-buttoning her shirt hastily, while the other girl walked to the bottom of the stairs and picked up her jacket. She slid it over her shoulders and pushed her hair back.

“Please, don’t.”

Faye looked up at her guardedly. “Why? There’s no reason for me to stick around. We’re not doing anything.”

“I want you to stay.”

“So we can spend the night talking this to death? Not a chance.” She shook her head vigorously and moved towards the door. “In fact, let’s not talk about this at all, okay? As in _ever_ again.”

Cassie stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “I know you don’t mean that.”

Faye groaned, tugging her jacket in frustration.

“Stay. We don’t have to talk about anything. I just…I want you to stay the night.” Faye raised an eyebrow so Cassie quickly clarified, “To sleep _._ Just sleep.”

“Yeah…” she drawled skeptically, looked up at the ceiling in mock consideration, and clucked her tongue, “ _so_ not going to happen.

Cassie rolled her eyes at the ever present Faye Chamberlain attitude.

“Look, I don’t do that stuff - the cute sleepovers, the cuddling, or any of that sappy bullshit. Here’s how it works with me, Cassie - I get what I want and then I'm gone. You don’t like it? Sorry. Not my problem. Either you want it or you don't.”

“Fine,” she huffed, propping her hands on her hips and lifted her chin in determination. “You need to do something for me though.”

Faye scoffed. “I don’t have to do a damn thing for-”

“Just shut up and listen to me.”

The brunette folded her arms across her chest, trying to look as annoyed as possible

“I want to try something.”

“And _what_ is that?”

“The way you got the door to unlock…”

“Yeah? What about it?” she replied disinterestedly. “You wanted it too. That’s how it happened.”

“I think it was more than that.”

“So what was it?”

“Think about something you want to do. Try to make it happen. Use your powers.”

“I don’t have my powers anymore!” she growled. “Lost them when we bound the Circle, remember? Not everyone gets to be as special as you!”

“Faye…” she replied calmly, “just try it? For me? Please?

Exhaling in frustration, she gave in and closed her eyes, doing as Cassie asked.

After a long moment, her eyes flew open again. They were focused now, calm...determined. Her gaze bore into Cassie with such intensity that she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears. Then she felt a jerk, there was something invisible was pulling at her body. It was a light tug at first, then it grew stronger, and before she knew it, she was yanked a step backward and pinned against the front door. Her arms flew up above her head, pressed against the wood, held by some magnetic force. Faye's determination turned to stunned disbelief.

Cassie’s shirt slipped upwards, seemingly of its own accord, exposing her stomach, and finally stopped above her breasts. Faye took a step forward, watching it all in amazement. The buttons on her jeans popped open. Cassie’s breathing grew ragged. The zipper was pulled down and her jeans began to slide off her hips. Gulping, Cassie looked at Faye with wide eyes, helpless to the seduction. Suddenly, brunette stumbled back, as if knocked out of a trance, and Cassie breathed with relief when she could lower her arms once more. The powerful energy that had been holding her there was gone. Even though she was relieved it didn't go further, she couldn't deny the pang of disappointment that it hadn't.

God, her head couldn't keep up with all of this.

“H-how…” Faye stammered.

“ _We_ did that," Cassie said as calmly as she could.

“But how did you know that’s what…I mean it was _exactly_ what I was thinking. I never said a word! I didn’t say any spell! Were you reading my mind?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so. I…I could feel that you wanted something; I could feel your magic trying to find mine. I didn’t know what it was you wanted to do, only that you needed me. All I had to do was let you find me.”

Faye eyed her warily for a moment before she sighed and stepped forward, pulling Cassie’s shirt back down. Never taking her eyes off her face, she moved her hands lower and Cassie sucked in a breath when she felt Faye’s fingers graze her below her belly button. The brunette bit her lower lip as she stared straight into Cassie’s eyes, buttoned her jeans for her, and pulled the zipper up.

Instead of stepping back right away, her hands lingered on Cassie’s waist. It seemed like she wasn’t all too ready to let go of this either.

“Can you do that with the others?”

Cassie shook her head.

“It’s only me?”

Cassie nodded.

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“You want me to stay,” Faye said, repeating it mostly for herself. “Why?”

“Because I want you here with me.”

“Or it’s because you think I’m going to go back over to Jake’s to finish what we started?” she said bitterly with a tick of her eyebrow.

It was like a sucker punch to the gut.

Horrified, not to mention sickened by the very idea, Cassie's stomach rolled painfully. Rage started to burn again. “Y-you would do that? Just after we…" she stammered angrily. "God! You know what? Go to hell, Faye!” She shoved her away and stormed past her. “GET OUT! I don’t know what I was thinking-”

“I’m sorry!” Faye grabbed her by the waist and held her tightly against her body, even as Cassie tried to fight her off. “I’m…look I’m _sorry_ I said that. I wouldn’t do that. I just thought that’s why you… I’m really sorry. _Please_.”

Cassie stopped finally stopped struggling, sucking in a deep breath to ground herself. Faye did sound genuinely remorseful, almost even upset that she had hurt Cassie’s feelings. That might have been her imagination though.

“If I thought so little of you,” Cassie murmured, looking anywhere but Faye, “I wouldn’t be… I wouldn’t be doing this.”

“ _Okay_ ," she said throatily. Like she didn't believe it, but was trying to anyway. _  
_

That was something right?

“So…" Cassie tried, acutely aware that Faye had yet to release her, still holding her in a tight embrace, "will you stay?”

She rolled her eyes, considering it. “No talking?”

“No talking.”

“Or cuddling?”

Cassie laughed softly and nodded. “Or cuddling.”

“Fine,” Faye muttered. “Whatever.”

She tried not grin like an idiot at her victory, bouncing with joy inside, but a tiny smile made its way onto her lips all the same. Faye pretended not to notice it, but Cassie saw a hint of one pulling at the corners of her mouth as well.

* * *

They went up to Cassie’s room, Faye trailing behind her, and saw the broken window as soon as they walked in. Faye turned her head to look at her accusingly.

“Okay, so it was me,” she admitted in embarrassment, “but it really was an accident.”

“Shocker." Faye rolled her eyes. "Are you just going to stand there? It's freezing.”

“Right. We can fix it." She thought for a moment. " _What was broken, now restore.”_

Faye repeated it with Cassie the second time and the glass was replaced, not a crack left to show anything had happened at all.

“Not bad,” she nodded approvingly as Cassie closed the curtains with a little more force than necessary, refusing to look at the window next door.

They both stood there awkwardly, unsure of what was supposed to come next. Cassie hadn't exactly thought the whole thing through. She just knew she wanted Faye to stay with her tonight. Not want, no, but need. She needed her there and she didn't know why. It was just something inside of her screaming not to let Faye step out that door tonight.

Clearing her throat, she finally remembered how her feet worked and went to her dresser, digging through to find some pajamas for Faye to borrow. She didn't comment on the raised eyebrow Faye shot her when she handed her the clothes and modestly went into the bathroom to change into her own pajamas.

Once ready, they got into Cassie's bed together, maintaining a respectable distance between them. They both laid on their backs, facing the ceiling, side by side under the covers.

Then it was silent.

Really silent.

“What are we doing?” Faye asked.

“What do you want us to be doing?”

“I thought that was obvious downstairs.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“This isn’t dating. I’m not going to date you and get into that whole drama.”

“Okay. So we just keep doing what we were doing.”

“Which was?”

“Spending time together, hanging out, and practicing magic. Only now there can be,” she swallowed nervously, “ _other stuff_ involved.”

“I can do that. But…”

“What?”

“You can’t…” She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “You’re not allowed to do anything with Adam…or other people.”

The 'allow' part rankled her slightly, but Cassie decided to let it go.

“I won’t.” She shrugged easily. “I wouldn’t want to anyway.”

“Good,” Faye replied tersely.

“What about you?”

“What _about_ me?”

“Does the same rule apply to you?”

“You mean Jake?" she scoffed. "I’m over it.”

“I mean anyone.”

Faye paused, quiet for a beat, then relented. “Fine. Same rule.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Why did you do that with him? After last night, we were--"

“You said we weren’t going to talk!”

Cassie sighed, disheartened, and turned over so her back was to Faye.

Fine. They didn't have to talk about it. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep, taking solace in the fact that she could feel Faye's weight on the bed next to her. She was still there. She was still with her. That could be enough for now.

But Faye wasn't done. After long minutes passed, her quiet reply finally came.

“I saw you with Adam today.” It was almost a whisper.

Cassie opened her eyes again, but she didn't turn over. “Saw me what?”

“I just _saw_ you. I didn’t…I didn’t…” Faye growled in frustration, unable to say the words. “So when Jake texted me tonight…”

“You thought you’d get your revenge on me for _speaking_ to a boy?”

“Screw you.” It lacked any real vigor behind it.

Cassie took a moment and adjusted the pillow under her head as she mulled it over. “You thought I had feelings for Adam.”

“Don’t you?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

Silence again.

“So we’re not telling anyone about us, but we’re not going to see anyone else?”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Still don’t want to cuddle?” she teased.

“Shut up!” Cassie could practically see Faye’s cheeks turning red behind her. “I told you, I don’t do that sort of thing.”

“You don’t do that or you’ve _never_ done that?”

Faye was quiet for a moment. “Both," she whispered.

The vulnerability of her admission took Cassie off guard. It tore at her heart. She'd only been joking, she never thought... Was Faye truly that fearful of letting anyone close? Had no one ever held her in their arms and loved her the way she so deserved? Her chest tightened painfully at the thought and it took all she had to not turn over and pull Faye into her embrace. How lonely she sounded... Cassie never wanted her to feel alone again. Not if she could help it. But she knew Faye wouldn't react well to that right now.

Instead, she tried to keep a steady voice and replied, “Well…I’m here if you want to try it.”

“Go to sleep already.”

It was a while longer and Cassie was just drifting off when she felt a warm arm slip tentatively around her waist and a body press up against her back gently. Her hair was pulled back so her neck was exposed and soft lips pressed against the bare skin, eliciting a delightful shiver. Cassie grinned to herself and continued to breathe evenly, letting Faye think she was sound asleep. She heard a shy exhale of relief and her heart burst with happiness.

She slept deeply with a smile on her lips while in Faye's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay! Okay! I want to try it again!” Faye squealed excitedly, practically bouncing up and down.

Cassie laughed. She’d never seen Faye like this before and was enjoying every minute of it.

Gleeful, the brunette spun on her heel and looked around the abandoned house for something of use. She remembered that Cassie's book of shadows was on the table in the loft. Though it was out of sight, and on the second floor, she stretched out her arm and called for the book. A flash of black flew through the air and suddenly Faye was clutching it in her hand.

“Hah!” she cried victoriously and lifted it above her head. “This is so cool! It’s like I have my individual powers back, but I’m even stronger than before! How is this happening?”

She dropped down next to her on the couch, tossing the book aside, and draped her legs across Cassie’s lap.

Cassie traced light, anxious circles around Faye’s bare knee. It took her a minute to work up the nerve to reply.

“I think…I think I know.”

“Well, what is it?” she insisted impatiently. “How did you do it? And don’t you dare let the other Circle members in on it. _Especially_ Diana. I can’t stand the idea of that that uppity bitch getting her powers back. She’s the one who pushed us so hard to bind the Circle, she deserves to suffer the consequences. This is between _us_.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. "You just don’t want anyone else to have solo powers so that you get to be the stronger witch.”

“And that’s a problem because…?”

“It’s a little…oh, I don’t know… _selfish_?”

“They obviously don’t care about having to use Circle magic for every tiny thing so why do they deserve to be let in on it? Besides, it would be wasted on them. At least we know how to use magic properly.”

Cassie smacked her leg lightly and gave her a chastising look. “It doesn’t even matter anyway. I wouldn’t be able to help them with that.”

“Why not? You can do it for me.” She cocked her head thoughtfully, putting a finger to her lips. “Is this a sex thing?”

“Faye!”

“ _What_?” she retorted exasperatedly. “It’s a fair question!”

“God, you are so ridiculous sometimes. Besides, we haven’t even…done _that_.”

“Yet.”

Cassie covered her eyes wearily.

“I’m just clarifying!” Faye said. “We haven’t had sex… _yet_.”

“Please stop talking.”

“Then you talk. Tell me how you’re doing this.”

Cassie swallowed thickly. She wasn’t sure why, but it made her oddly nervous to reveal to Faye what she had discovered after a lot of thinking on the subject.

“Try to call something else.”

Faye tilted her head questioningly.

“Try. I’ll explain in a minute.”

The brunette shrugged and threw out her arm again. This time she called for one of the jars off the table on the opposite side of the room.

Nothing happened.

Furrowing her brow, Faye concentrated and tried harder. She called for it again.

Still nothing.

Frustrated, she turned to a beaker on the table, and when that didn't work, she tried a potted plant, but none of them so much as rattled in response. Finally giving up, she turned back to Cassie.

“I can’t do it anymore. Are you… _blocking_ me?”

“In a way,” she admitted.

Faye sighed in disappointment. She lifted her legs off Cassie’s lap and put her feet on the floor, her shoulders were hunched over as if she was trying to curl into herself.

“So it _is_ you. It’s your power I’m using.”

“No,” Cassie shook her head, “it’s both of ours.”

“What are you talking about?” she muttered gloomily.

“For the Circle’s magic to work, we both have to think the same thing, right? Or at least that’s how it works with the others.”

“We’ve been over this like a hundred times now…” Faye retorted edgily.

“Well, what if that’s only the superficial way to do it?”

“Superficial?”

“Amateurish?“ Cassie tried again. "I don’t know how to put it exactly. But we’ve seen our powers grow. Magic comes more effortlessly now. The more in tune we are with each other, the better we are. It takes over as second nature.”

“I’m not following.”

“I can feel your magic,” she said finally. “Like I told you a few days ago, I can feel it when you want something, I can tell. I don't have to touch you to to know, like it is with the others, and it feels different than that too. There's this tingling when I've held their hands to connect to use magic, but it's not like that at all with you. It's so much deeper...more powerful. I feel you inside of me, in every part of me. I feel your magic calling to mine. It’s like you’re asking…without asking…to join us together.”

To have our souls meet, she wanted to say, but was afraid that would be too much for Faye to hear. It was almost too much for her to even think herself.

“You can _feel_ it…” Faye mulled it over. “What does it feel like?”

“ _You_.”

Faye ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. She was obviously looking for a clearer answer than that, but Cassie didn’t have one.

“I can’t explain it any better. That’s all I know. It’s just you.”

“Why can’t I do the same? Is it some ‘dark magic’ thing?” She used emphatic air quotes that made Cassie’s exasperation grow.

“I don’t know any more than that. I’m sorry. I'm just trying to make some sense of it all. You’re the more experienced one. You tell me.”

“The Circle has never done anything like that,” Faye said, at a loss. “We have to at least have an idea of what the other person wants or say the spell at the same time. We can sense each other's energy, but it’s vague. I know what it feels like when the Circle uses magic together versus what it felt like to use it alone, but it's nothing like what you're describing. It's like you're saying you can hear me calling out to you...even though I'm not.”

Cassie shrugged. "In a way, I think all of us in the Circle are calling out to each other. But you're the only one I can hear."

Faye's eyes widened slightly as she took that in, gnawing on her thumbnail as she tried to process it all.

"Nope, hold on," she said. "I still don't get it. What I was able to do before, I thought I did it with my own powers, but you're saying it _is_ and _isn't_ because of you? You're not making sense."

Cassie sighed. “When I feel it, rather _you_ , pulling at me – I have a choice. That test just proved it. I can open myself up and let you connect with me, join our powers or I can refuse. I don’t know what you want to do with the magic - all I can feel is that you need me.”

“So basically you get to decide how I use my powers? Fantastic,” Faye grumbled. “I’m back to square one. Worse, even.”

“It’s…” Cassie hesitated, “not as simple as that.”

The brunette frowned. “What does that mean?”

“I think it’s possible for me to be open to you…all the time.”

“You mean…?” Faye trailed off breathlessly, too afraid to voice it because the possibility of such a thing was too much to hope for.

“I think you could use the Circle’s magic whenever you wanted,” Cassie affirmed to the other girl’s wide eyes. “Yours and mine, together. But…”

“But what?” she cried. “How can you dangle this in front of me, only to pull-”

“I don’t know if I can trust you enough to do that!” she exclaimed.

Faye's eyes narrowed dangerously. ” _Excuse_ me?“

Cassie jumped off the couch and began to pace.

"Faye…it means giving myself to you _completely_. Letting you do whatever you wanted with our magic. I can’t control what you do with it. I can only open myself to you, let you take what you want. Do you have any idea how absolutely terrifying that is? I don’t even know how to control it that well on my own. And when you add the wild card that is my dark magic bloodline to all of this...it's-it’s too much!” She clenched her hands into fists. “You’re… I’m not saying this to be mean, but we both know how you’ve gotten out of control with a free rein like this before. How am I supposed to just…give myself away to someone who…” she swallowed thickly, “someone who scares me when they get that way?”

Faye settled back into the couch, bringing her knees to her chest. She wasn’t looking at her, but Cassie could see how hard she was trying to hide how much that hurt her.

“I want to do this. I do. I want you to feel free again and to have individual powers because no one has a right to take that from you. I know how much it kills you to feel helpless, to not be able to use magic without anyone else. It goes against who you are. These powers were yours before we bound the Circle and you deserve to have them again. You were born with them. You also deserve a way to protect yourself. But…I’m still…I…” She sighed deeply and stopped pacing, turning to face her. “This is asking a lot of me that I don’t think I’m ready to do yet. And maybe you’re not ready for yet either.”

It felt like hours before Faye finally brought life back into the room by tilting her chin up to meet Cassie’s eyes.

“Okay.”

“O-okay?”

Faye nodded. “I need you to do something for me though?”

Cassie sat back down beside her, still a bit stunned by how calm Faye was being. She wasn’t expecting this at all. The opposite, actually.

“What is it?”

“I need you, for the next ten minutes, to trust me completely. Just for ten minutes, let me have what it is you’re saying we could do together. No matter what I do or how freaked out you get, don’t block me. Just…trust me.”

“Ten minutes?”

“That’s all. Then I won’t ask for it again unless you decide…whatever.”

Her heart pounded violently against her chest.

“ _Okay_ ,” she croaked against her better judgment. “Ten minutes.”

“Starting now.”

Cassie could only nod. Whatever Faye was going to do, the look in her eyes both terrified and excited her. It was so intoxicating and overwhelming. She felt the to urge to run as far and fast as she could. From this house. From magic. From Faye Chamberlain.

But she couldn't leave even if she tried.

Faye had a hold over her that she'd never understand.

The brunette stood up and shrugged out of her jacket. She looked around the house and one by one, the lights flickered out until they were blanketed in darkness. Cassie could scarcely breathe, let alone speak.

The couch shifted beneath her as Faye’s weight settled back in. Fingers grazed the naked skin at her waist as her shirt was gently tugged upwards. Cassie tensed involuntarily. Whatever vague idea she had in mind as to what Faye was going to do, _this_ was definitely not a part of that.

The movement stilled and then soft lips brushed against her cheek.

“ _Trust me_ ,” Faye whispered huskily against her ear.

The seductive, smooth murmur, the gentle nip that followed, had Cassie’s body flooding with heat in a matter of seconds. Trembling at Faye’s mercy, she nodded and gave in. She held her arms in the air so Faye could easily pull her shirt over her head.

When it was gone, hands were on her shoulders, urging her to lie back. Her heart leapt into her throat, robbing her of a voice. She almost wished she could see Faye right now. The darkness was disconcerting, but then a part of her was grateful for it. This way, Faye wouldn’t be able to see how nervous she was, how red her face must be. For as nerve wracking as all this was, Cassie couldn’t deny how acutely aroused she was after a matter of seconds. Did Faye know that as well?

The warm skin of her naked bare back hit the cool material of the couch and she didn’t have much time to process anything more because Faye was languidly stretching herself out on top of her, settling in between Cassie’s legs that she had opened for her instinctively.

Her desire to see Faye, rather than this shadowy outline in the dark, was growing more and more powerful by the second. Forget what she looked like, she needed Faye.

Hands entwined with hers and Faye brought them both to rest above Cassie’s head, stretching her arms out. From fingers to toes, they were intimately pressed against the other. Cassie wished Faye had taken off her shirt as well. She wanted to feel her again, like that night she broke the windows, instead she had to settle for the material of Faye's top against her bare skin.

Propping herself up on her elbows, Faye carefully took the brunt of her weight off of her. Cassie would have done away with that and brought Faye down again on her fully if her hands weren’t pinned above her head.

She could hear Faye’s breathing grow more unsteady in the darkness. Lips brushed against hers and she craned her head up to capture them in a real kiss, but Faye pulled away. She was getting frustrated now. What was this game?

Faye laughed breathily above her and Cassie was embarrassed to admit how acutely arousing the sound was, how it sent a bolt of heat between her legs.

“So eager, Cassie…”

“What ar-”

“Shhh,” she murmured, turning Cassie’s hands over, palms up, and spread them open. “ _Bring me fire and flame without harm_.”

It didn’t require repeating because as soon as the last sound left her lips, a glow of firelight appeared, revealing Faye’s face above her. Cassie gasped. There was a startling heat pressing against her open hands. It was uncomfortably hot, but wasn't burning her just yet. It was like that moment in the shower where the water is just a few degrees from scalding you.

It was a shock to see Faye again in the warm orange glow after what seemed like hours of blindness in the dark house. There was a smug grin on the brunette’s lips as she watched what was causing the light that Cassie still couldn’t see.

She wanted to demand to know what was happening, feeling like she was losing her mind torn between the simultaneous sensations of fear and arousal.

All Cassie knew was that she was completely and utterly at Faye’s mercy.

Ten minutes.

She promised her that and she was going to give it.

Ten minutes.

The heat against her skin started to move from her palms down across the pulse point on her left wrist. Faye bit her bottom lip in grinning anticipation. Whatever she was doing to Cassie, she was loving every second of it.

 _Please, look at me,_ she thought desperately.

This was too much.

_Just look at me._

As if she'd heard her, though Cassie doubted that very much, Faye’s green eyes met hers in the flickering light and, without a word, she leaned down and pressed her lips to Cassie’s. She kissed her sweetly, gently, taking care not to let it get any deeper, no matter how hard Cassie tried. It ended with her giving a frustrated whine and Faye’s focus went back to the light. She was concentrating as hard as she could and the heat continued to travel down Cassie’s arm, the light growing brighter.

Soon it was at her shoulder and Cassie turned her head with a gasp. Panicking, she tried to escape, but Faye had anticipated that and was already in the right position to hold her down.

Right there, on her shoulder, was a long, flickering, candle-light flame dancing directly on top of Cassie’s bare skin.

Fire!

On her!

But it was hot. Not burning. Just hot.

Panicky breaths began to even out as she started to relax a little more, realizing that she wasn’t in danger. She settled her head back on the couch in wonderment, unable to take her eyes off the flame.

Trusting that Cassie wouldn't try to flee in a panic anymore, Faye released her wrists, and slid her hands down her body instead. Cassie kept her arms stretched above her head, determined to see this out. Faye's fingers aligned alongside the fiery little thing and she guided it down Cassie’s shoulder, across her collarbone. The blonde whimpered, but this time it was purely her arousal spurring her on, not fear. The heat against her already flushed and sensitive skin had her hips bucking up against Faye. Her body with its own mind trying to relieve the ache between her thighs that was rapidly growing worse. This tiny flame was igniting every nerve it touched as it made its own path across her body.

Cassie tore her gaze away from it to see Faye once more. The brunette had her brow drawn in concentration, but the light in her eyes had nothing to do with the fire that was currently making its way between the valley of her breasts. She watched as Faye’s tongue darted out and wet her lips in anticipation. Wetness pooled between her legs at the sight. She didn’t even realize how hard she’d been grinding her hips against Faye until the brunette used her weight to pin Cassie's lower body down and prevent her from moving as much.

Under Faye’s guidance, the hot flame dipped down across Cassie’s stomach, sliding like a droplet of water would, but left a pathway of indescribable heated electricity along her skin in its wake instead.

“F-Faye…” she moaned.

The brunette looked up at her with a grin that refused to fade and the flame slid across her belly button, dangerously encroaching the waistband that sat low on her hips. Panting and writhing beneath her helplessly, the panic started to bubble up inside her again. Faye wasn’t going to go that far, was she? Cassie didn’t know if she could handle it.

But what if she _could_ …?

The vision filled her head and she moaned out loud at just the thought of what that might do to her.

The flame stopped just as it reached her pelvis, Cassie squirmed involuntarily, and Faye's gaze slowly traveled up her body, greedily taking in the sight, before meeting her eyes again with a smirk. Never looking away, she curled her hand into a fist and the little flame extinguished. They were surrounded by darkness once more.

Cassie could still feel the remnants of its energy lingering on her skin as harsh breaths filled the silence.

“You could have set me on fire,” she said, when she could remember how to form words again, and gulped.

“I didn’t.“

“You could have burned me!”

“ _Again_ , in case you weren’t paying attention, I _didn’t_.”

“Your control leaves something to be desired, Faye!” she retorted shakily.

“Not when I’m with you.”

That threw her.

“What?”

Faye shifted on top of her, but made it clear that she had no desire to move anytime soon. With her arms free, Cassie couldn’t help the way she automatically circled Faye's waist, the way her hands slipped beneath the other girl's shirt. Soft, bare skin under her fingertips. Anything just to be able to feel a little bit more of what she so craved, to be that much closer.

She couldn’t see her face anymore, but it didn’t matter because she could feel her radiating above her. Faye’s scent surrounded her, her weight was deliciously pressing into her in all the right places. She stroked her fingers through her hair and Cassie shivered at the gentleness of it. There was so much she had yet to learn about this girl. So much she wanted to learn.

“When we’re together,“ Faye murmured, "w-when we do magic together, I have never felt so completely…” she trailed off, unable to finish. “When I had my powers alone, I loved it, I loved the freedom, I loved the strength it gave me. I felt like I could do anything. I never had to rely on anyone else. I was _powerful_. But it also made me…”

“Batshit crazy?”

Cassie could practically _feel_ the glare burning into her and stifled a giggle.

“It made me lose sight of things I shouldn’t have, okay?” she retorted stiffly. “Yet, it’s different with you.”

“How is it different?”

“There’s a…a peacefulness I feel when we use magic together. It calms me. I can think more clearly. I can control the power."

Cassie’s heart fluttered. “I do that for you?” she replied wonderingly.

“Then again,” Faye said flippantly, “you also manage to piss me off so badly I can’t see straight. So I’m not sure how well that’s going to work. We’ve seen what happens to _you_ when you get pissed off.”

“Okay, just because I _smashed_ a few tiny things and made some lights flicker…”

“…and made a guy spontaneously combust into flames…”

“Hey! That was self-defense!” she protested. “Totally doesn’t count because I was protecting you guys. It still doesn’t mean that I’m completely out of control like-”

“Cassie!” Faye interrupted her anxiously. “Look, y-you make me want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. I don’t…I don’t deal with _that_ well. I don’t know how this is going to work. I don’t know if it _will_ work. But the things I want to do with you, the things I want _from_ you, I’ve never wanted from anyone before. So as scary as it is for you, it’s about a thousand times worse for me. _Okay_?”

“Faye…” she whispered in disbelief.

Maybe it was because they were hidden safely in the dark that she was able to say these things, because Cassie knew had they been in daylight, or even just candlelight, Faye wouldn’t be able to voice the feelings she was right now.

There was something comforting about the dark, shadows tucking secrets away that never had to be scrutinized in the harsh light of day. Faye didn’t have to see her face, she didn’t have to look in her eyes. If she wanted to, she could pretend none of this ever happened. It would be easier to.

But Cassie would remember this moment no matter what.

“I get it,” Faye said thickly. “I’ve done some really screwed up things and you’re right, you can’t trust me yet. Why would you after what I’ve done? But I can-I can wait. I can do that. I just wanted to show you…something.”

"Something?”

“Show you that I can be trusted. I can be in control. I can do it, Cassie! I swear. All I want is to feel _strong_ again. I hate being like this, weak, without my powers. I feel…empty. But when you’re, or _we’re,_ doing magic together, I don’t feel that way anymore. I don’t feel so alone… And it's still an incredible rush, more than anything I've ever felt, but I don't feel like I'm dancing next to an abyss. The thrill I feel isn't from the danger of being so close to the edge, risking falling over at any moment, like before. With you it's from something pure a-and extraordinary..." She exhaled loudly in frustration. "I don't know what I'm saying, but d-do you know? Do you feel it?”

Cassie could only nod. She didn't have the words for it either.

"When you’re ready... _if_ you're ready...I’ll prove to you I can do this. I _won’t_ betray you.”

Cassie was silent for a long time as she tried to process all that had just occurred between them. Faye said nothing to break the silence, only waiting.

Then the one thought that had been burning through her head ever since she started practicing magic with Faye finally broke through. She couldn’t hold it back anymore, it hurt too much not to know the truth. She felt like she would go insane if she tried to keep it in any longer.

“Are you using me for my powers?“ she blurted. "Is that why you’re doing all of this?”

_Is it the reason why you touch me the way you do?_

“You’re not serious."

When Cassie, didn't reply, Faye sucked in a breath and was quiet for a long moment. Then she broke into a bitter scoff that Cassie didn’t know what to make of. She pushed herself off of her and moved down the couch so they weren’t touching anymore in the slightest. The sudden loss of bodily warmth was a shock to Cassie's body. She not only mourned the loss of Faye’s embrace, but the fact that it was winter came rushing back with a bitter reminder. She sat up and tried to grope around for her shirt, but couldn’t find it in the dark. Instead, she had to settle for wrapping her arms around herself at the moment.

“Did you happen to forget the part where I was trying to get in your pants _before_ we discovered this whole thing?” Faye muttered dejectedly from the other end of the couch.

"Oh." Cassie blushed furiously.

“If you’re asking me if it matters, well then, yeah, it does,” Faye admitted. "It’s a really freaking incredible bonus for me.”

The blonde groaned, looking away, but then the couch shifted again and Faye’s gentle caress on her cheek urged her to turn back.

“But I’d still…" she started uncomfortably and took a deep breath. “Even if this magic thing wasn’t happening, I'd still find you weirdly attractive, annoyingly sexy, infuriatingly stubborn, aberrantly self-righteous with a savior complex to rival Diana Meade, and I would still question my sanity for wanting to spend time with you. Magic has nothing to do with any of that."

Cassie kissed her.


	6. Chapter 6

It was Friday night when Cassie pulled up to the Chamberlain house. It’d been over two months since that evening in the abandoned house. To say their relationship since had been… _interesting_ …was putting it mildly. Bickering, kissing, magic, secrets, more bickering, and even more kissing.

They never really discussed it further, but Cassie was an open magical book to Faye from that night on. Faye was able to access their shared Circle magic whenever she wanted and she was being...surprisingly responsible about it. Which isn’t to say she didn’t use it for trivial things, of course she did, but she didn’t show any signs of losing control or going too far. Cassie was actually quite proud of her and told her as such. She only got an eye roll in response, but she knew Faye heard her.

There were all kinds of shifting dynamics between them now, including an ironic role reversal. Cassie was beginning to lose control over her dark magic and would only use it sparingly, which meant Faye was now the strongest witch in the Circle. The others were utterly at a loss and tried to get an explanation, but Cassie and Faye were closed lipped.

While Faye could draw from their shared power in this unique way, Cassie was unable to reciprocate. Her ability to do solo magic stemmed entirely from her dark magic bloodline. Without using that, she was forced to use only the Circle's magic, which meant always relying on someone else. They both had a theory about why it was a one way street, but neither of them wanted to admit it out loud. Speaking it into existence would be far worse than just speculation. But whatever it was they were doing, it was working. For now anyway.

Because the more time they spent together, the more Cassie wanted, but the more she let that show, the more Faye pulled away. Then something would happen, some life threatening event or simply running into each other at an off moment, and they would collide again. Then things picked up as if they'd never stopped. It was a frustrating game, but not one Cassie was going to lose by any means.

There was also the matter of how her physical desire for Faye was reaching peak points. At first, she worried that Faye would tire of her quickly if they weren't having sex. Cassie knew it would never be a reason for her to be intimate with someone, but the fear was there all the same. Faye wasn't the picture of patience and she seemed like the type to get bored pretty fast. Cassie didn't know anything about her sexual history beyond Jake, which was more than enough to make her blood boil, but surely with how confident and bold Faye was, she didn't lack for willing partners. So, yes, Cassie thought about it a lot and it was in the back of her head whenever they were together in the first few weeks. Unfortunately, she was thinking about it so much that she completely missed what was happening with Faye, until one night it just made sense.

* * *

It was nearly midnight. Melissa was drunk. Diana was drunker. Adam was puking in the bushes outside. Faye had vanished to the bathroom a few minutes ago and Cassie very much wanted to go after her, but she didn't quite trust herself to be able to walk with any amount of confidence.

They'd survived another witch hunter attack and of course Faye's idea of using Melissa's house while her Dad was away resulted in this. They went from battle-weary witches waging war to normal teenagers getting wasted.

Brilliant.

Jake was so pissed off at them for their careless behavior that he'd stormed off. No one really cared. Diana halfheartedly tried to go after him and found him sitting in his car, sulking, or "on lookout" as he put it. So she let him be.

Melissa and Cassie were oblivious as they engaged in a battle of "Never Have I Ever".

Cassie was totally winning. Melissa was regretting many of her life choices by now.

"Never have I ever...done a strip tease for a guy."

Melissa groaned and banged her head on the coffee table before taking a gulp. "Where are you getting your-" she hiccuped, "information. Cause this is not cool."

Cassie giggled. "You hiccuped!"

Diana came back in the house and flopped over face first on the couch with an exaggerated sigh. "Well, Jake's pouting in his car. Do you think Adam got lost?"

"I hope so," Cassie said and cackled even more with Melissa.

Diana swatted her reprovingly, but laughed too. "Someone has to try to keep us together."

"You're just lucky none of us have killed each other yet,” Melissa said with a raise of her eyebrow.

"No!” Diana gasped loudly, taking the joke seriously. “We could never!”

"We might!" She broke into another fit of giggles and rolled backward before righting herself again.

"Wait, where's Faye?" Diana asked. "She's taking an eternality!"

"Yeah!" Cassie nodded, tapping her glass on the table, and shouted, "FAYE! SOME BA-- I MEAN, _COME_ BACK!"

All three of them called for her until there was a distant "Shut up!" yelled back at them from upstairs.

Melissa shrugged. "Well, at least we know she's alive."

Cassie nodded seriously.

"I bet she's hiding in there cause she's sad Jake left," Diana said.

"That's stupid," Cassie replied and drowned the rest of what she wanted to say by taking another sip.

Melissa sat back against the couch. "I never understood them anyway. She never did anything with anyone and then he came along and it was like _obsession_."

"Then she never stopped," Diana laughed. Cassie glared at her and the other girl rolled her eyes. "Just a joke. And it's not like I'm saying anything that isn't true. Faye's enjoyed herself plenty with the boys in this little town. Nothing wrong with that. There's not much else to do."

Melissa fortunately blundered her way into saving Diana's life because Cassie could feel the prickling of dark magic at the back of her neck.

"Um..."

Both girls looked at her.

"What?"

"You know something," Diana said accusingly, pointing an unsteady finger at her. "What do you know?"

Melissa waved them both off, shaking her head.

"Tell us! Tell us now!"

"Jesus, Diana. You're aggressive when you drink."

"I proffer assertive."

"You _proffer_?"

"I do!"

The other two chortled at a frowning Diana, but Cassie eventually stopped and nudged Melissa. "Come on. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!" Her voice had gone up a few octaves. "You just don't know Faye very well."

Cassie scoffed. "Wanna bet?"

"If you think she's sleeping her way around Chance Harbor, you definitely don't know her."

"Obviously, I was exaggerating." Diana rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean it was that many."

"It's one."

Cassie stared at her with wide eyes.

"What'd she say?" Diana asked loudly, leaning off the couch.

Melissa looked at her. "I said it's only been _one_ person. Faye's only had sex with Jake. She never let anyone else get that close to her since him."

"But-but what about Lee?" Diana reasoned.

"Nope."

"But they were-"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"I dunno. I guess it's cause of what an asshole Jake was. She talks a big game and dudes love to act like they've hit it cause everyone's so quick to believe them when it comes to Faye. But...no one knows her really."

"Except you," Cassie said with more bitterness than she intended.

Melissa didn't seem to notice as she splashed more liquor in her glass. "You totally can't say anything about this to her. She'll murder me in my sleep for telling you guys."

"I'd sleep with one eye open, just in case," Diana snorted. "But don't worry. I'm pretty sure I'm too drunk to remember any of this."

"Thank God."

Cassie stumbled to her feet, pulling herself up by clutching the couch.

"Where you going?"

Cassie didn't answer, just slowly made her way down the hall and up the stairs. She tripped over her own feet a couple times, but stayed standing. She heard Adam return when he slammed the back door and the girls cheered to find out that he was still alive. Making it to the top of the stairs, she went straight for the bathroom door and opened it without knocking. It was empty. Frowning, she looked up and down the hall.

"Faye?"

"In here."

Cassie followed her voice into another room that looked like Melissa's father's office. The lights were on and Faye was behind the desk, rifling through papers.

"What are you doing?"

"Snooping." She looked up at Cassie and barked a laugh at the sight of her. "Holy shit, you're so wasted."

Cassie frowned harder. "How are you not more drunk than us? You had like twice as much."

"I can hold my liquor." Faye gestured for Cassie to come closer as she took another swig from the bottle she was holding. "Come on, let's find some dirt on the squeaky clean Mr. Glaser. Think he’s got another family on the other side of the country?" She wagged her eyebrows mischievously.

“Don’t be mean.” She joined Faye behind the desk and wrapped her arms around her. Faye reciprocated...sort of. She slung one arm around Cassie's shoulders, still holding the bottle, while she used her free hand to keep looking through the papers on the desk.

"You feel good."

"Yeah?"

Cassie nuzzled into her shoulder. "And you smell good."

"You reek of whiskey."

"You like me a lot."

"Sometimes."

" _A lot_."

Faye rolled her eyes, but didn't argue, and Cassie could see she was trying hard not to smile. So she continued.

"I like you too."

"Good to know."

Cassie perched her chin on Faye's shoulder and, with a lazy grin, slid her hand down her back and smacked her ass...hard. Faye yelped and looked at her in surprise before breaking into a fit of giggles.

"That hurt!"

"Want me to do it again?" Cassie purred.

"You're such a mess, evil princess."

She grabbed the bottle out of Faye's hand and put it on the desk with a thud, using a little more force than necessary. Faye didn't have time to protest because Cassie had grabbed her face and pulled her down for a deep kiss. Alcohol forgotten, only what thrummed through their veins urging them on, Faye eagerly returned the kiss and wasted no time in escalating it.

"I want to know you better than Melissa does," Cassie gasped between kisses as Faye pushed her back against the bookshelf. "I want you to tell me things."

"I tell you things," Faye mumbled, kissing her way down Cassie's neck.

"More things. Like...like Melissa things."

"Melissa doesn't know about you."

"That's only one thing."

Faye yanked her close. "It's a big thing."

"That joke only works if you're a boy."

Faye smirked. "Don't be so sure."

"I really like you."

"We did that already."

Cassie gasped softly as Faye kissed the sweet spot below her ear. "I don't want to have sex tonight."

"Who said anything about sex?" Unfazed, Faye sucked on her bottom lip before taking her mouth again.

"But I want to have it soon."

That made her chuckle. "And who, pray tell, will you be having this sex with?"

"You."

"You sound very certain."

"I am. We'll do it soon, just not tonight. I'm wayyyy too drunk."

Faye laughed softly and kissed the tip of Cassie's nose. "I know."

"Don't you like me too?"

"Sure."

"Say it."

Faye hesitated, but only for a moment. "I like you too."

"But you don't want me that much?"

"I want you way too much."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does. You're just drunk."

"That's very true."

Faye sighed, resting her head against her. "We should probably go back to the others."

"No!" Cassie clutched at her shirt. "Don't go. I wanna be here with you."

"Okay, but if you start to pass out, you have to stay upright until we make it to Melissa's bed, okay? I _refuse_ to sleep on the floor."

"Deal!"

Faye wrapped her arms around Cassie's shoulders, embracing her firmly. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, her lips against her ear and Cassie shivered warmly.

* * *

Alas, she woke the next morning on the floor after all.

Groaning, she lifted her head slightly to look at her surroundings, feeling like death itself, and found herself very firmly sandwiched between two bodies. She realized, with some confusion, that the person she was clutching from behind like a teddy bear was actually Diana and the person behind her that had their arm curled around her waist was none other than Faye. Cassie was sore from being on the hardwood floor, but someone had put a pillow under her head and covered her with a blanket. Upon further investigation, she saw Melissa snoring as she used Faye's legs as a pillow. They all ended up on the floor? What the hell happened last night and why was no one on the perfectly good and very large bed that was right next to them?

Strike that, there was one person using the bed. Adam.

The other girls stirred as Cassie moved around more. Faye's hold on her tightened while Cassie tried to disentangle herself from Diana.

"Why?" Cassie croaked. "Why did we do this to ourselves?"

"Worst idea ever," Diana groaned.

"Why am I on the floor?" Melissa mumbled.

"I'm never letting you drink again," Faye said without opening her eyes.

"I'm holding you to that," she replied.

"I can't move."

"Me either."

"Are we going to die here?"

"Survive witch hunters, but die on Melissa's bedroom floor because we drank too much? That's just sad."

A muffled "I’m trying to sleep” came from the bed above them.

"Fuck off, Adam," the four girls replied in perfect unison.

They eventually made it off the floor and survived the day after Cassie found a hangover cure in her book of shadows. After some food and a brief discussion of their witch hunter encounter last night, they were walking to their cars when Diana took Cassie's arm.

"I don't remember much, but it was sweet what Faye did last night."

"What do you mean?"

"When she tried to get you on the bed, but you sunk to the floor and insisted that you had to stay down there. You were really adamant about it. Ring any bells?”

Cassie shook her head.

“Ah, well, we were going to pick you up, but Faye told us no. She got a pillow and a blanket and laid down next to you so you wouldn't be alone."

"Oh."

"I guess she made it look appealing because then Melissa and I decided we had to do it too. Drunken minds think alike?"

"Sorry I made you guys suffer with me."

Diana waved her off affectionately. "You didn't make us do a thing. I really should have stayed on the couch though, my neck is killing me."

"Good thing we're young."

"I don't feel young today."

Cassie smiled tiredly and squeezed Diana's arm before they went their separate ways. As she put the key in the ignition, Faye opened the passenger door and slid in.

She wasn’t surprised. "Want me to drop you at your place?"

"No,” she laid her head back against the seat, “I'll hang at yours. It’d be nice to avoid my mother for a little while longer."

"Okay."

And that was that.

* * *

They didn't talk about it. Cassie never brought it up and Faye never mentioned it, but all their exchanges since then felt different. Cassie no longer had that nagging voice in the back of her head saying that she wouldn't be enough, that she had to try harder. Instead, she just...let it be. Enjoyed being with Faye. Enjoyed laughing with her and arguing with her. Faye never once gave her the impression that something was lacking or showed a single sign of impatience or frustration when it came to intimacy. She always seemed to know exactly where the boundary was for Cassie, even though the boundary seemed to change on a daily basis, and never crossed it. But it was more than that. Since that night, there was less of the push and pull game when it came to getting closer. Faye didn't seem to fight it as hard anymore. They were settling into what it meant to be together without really meaning to.

Things had shifted between them yet again because it went from her being worried about what Faye wanted, to her thinking about what _she_ wanted.

Cassie knew exactly what she wanted and she wanted it tonight.

So she let herself in the Chamberlain house, knowing Dawn wasn’t home, and made her way up the stairs with a frantically pounding heart.

When she walked into Faye’s room, she just had to admire it. She’d only been in here once before, briefly, and it kind of surprised her how well tailored Faye’s room was. It’s not like she was expecting black walls, jars of eyes, pentagrams painted everywhere, or anything that extreme, but she also wasn’t expecting the overall _pleasantness_ of her room. The carved white molding, the deep maroon walls, the throw pillows, the warm wood of her floors and antique furniture. It wasn’t screaming sunshine and puppy dogs like the white innocence of Diana’s room or the soft green of her own, but it was still _nice_. Better even. Cassie really thought she could get used to Faye’s room more than the one she called her own now.

It was different than the rest of the house so she knew without having to ask if it was Faye who decorated rather than her mother. There was a warmth in there, a comforting energy. A decided contrast from the girl who occupied it. At least, a contrast from the persona she made for herself.

“Hey.” Faye glanced at her distractedly, searching for something. “I’ll be ready in a second.”

“Where’s your Mom?” she asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible when really she felt like she was about to pass out.

Was she really going to do this? Was she ready?

One look at Faye, who had gotten down on the floor to look under her bed, reminded her that she most definitely was. The trembling she felt wasn’t a thing to be ignored, this _longing_ was something she couldn’t bear.

Oh, she was ready.

“Some school thing for the teachers. A dinner or whatever. Ah! Finally.”

She pulled out a pair of thigh high boots from under the bed and stood up. Cassie opened her palm behind her back and the lock on the door clicked audibly. Faye forgot about her boots for the moment and narrowed her eyes at the locked door.

“What are you doing?”

“What?” Cassie replied innocently. “It’s not just _your thing_ , you know. Other witches can do it too.”

Faye dropped the boots with a thud on the floor. A shiver ran through her. The way Faye was looking at her…

“I meant,” the brunette took a step closer, “ _why_ are you locking my door?”

Cassie swallowed thickly. It was now or never. Instead of allowing herself to wring her hands for one moment longer, she let her mind go blank so that her body could take over. One second she was standing there nervously, the next she jumped into Faye’s arms, attacking her mouth.

Though Faye was taller and strong enough to hold her, Cassie had caught her off guard and the force with which she came at her had them both knocked backwards and they fell onto the bed. Faye grunted as she hit the mattress and Cassie promptly straddled her, throwing off her jacket. The brunette stared up at her in surprise.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she exclaimed, breathing heavily.

“What does it look like?” Cassie retorted. Her hands went to the hem of her shirt and she pulled it over her head.

“Well…it _looks_ like you’re trying to top me…”

Cassie gasped when she was roughly flipped over with Faye’s weight pressing into her now and she hovered over her with a wolfish grin.

“You didn’t think it was going to work like that, did you?”

To be honest, with Faye kissing her like that, Cassie couldn’t have cared less.

* * *

Cassie woke to bright morning sunlight and groaned. That was the last thing she wanted right now.

_Too bright, too bright._

She wasn’t even awake enough to be cognizant of using magic, but even in that sleepy haze, the curtains were pulled shut, and left them in pleasant darkness once again. Sighing in relief, Cassie snuggled back down into the pillows only to then remember that she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t even in her own room. She was also very…very naked.

Faye shifted beside her restlessly, mumbling something incoherent. Cassie stared down at the brunette in wonder. There, lying right beside her in blissful slumber, was an equally naked Faye Chamberlain curled against Cassie’s body, tucked into the crook of her neck.

Faye was sleeping against her… On her even! Cassie’s heart burst with happiness like never before. She had half expected to wake up with Faye gone or at least dressed and ready to walk out the door like nothing had ever happened with them. But…here she was, still with her.

She could actually feel the warm, even, little puffs of breath against her bare skin as Faye lay against her. Beaming from head to toe, Cassie couldn’t get over this extraordinary sight. Faye sleeping peacefully next to her as memories of last night poured in, each one better than the next.

She forced herself to be as still as possible so she wouldn’t wake the other girl. She wanted this moment for as long as she could have it. It was so perfect, so mind-numbingly wonderful, she didn’t want it to go away.

She really was falling in love, wasn’t she?

Oh, who was she kidding? She was already there.

“You kick,” Faye muttered, her eyes still closed.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Of course Faye was awake. She should have known better.

“And you talk in your sleep."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Sure I do."

“You also drool.”

She made a face and poked her in the ribs. “Uncalled for.”

Faye cracked one eye open for a moment, considering something, then leaned up enough to press a chaste kiss to her lips.

“Morning,” Cassie whispered, smiling from ear to ear when Faye pulled away and rolled onto her back, eyes still closed.

“Yeah. That.”

Cassie didn’t like how far away she’d gotten, even if it was mere inches, so she scooted closer, and this time was the one curled up against Faye.

“Do you want to go back to sleep?”

“God in hell, yes.”

“I don’t think you’re allowed to say that…”

“Witch,” she mumbled, “allowed to say anything I want.”

“That untouchable attitude of yours is going to get you in more trouble than you’re ready for someday.”

“Didn’t you say something about sleeping?”

She chuckled and ran her fingers through Faye’s long, currently messy, dark hair. “Sleep then.”

Faye sighed and opened both eyes for the first time that morning.

“Are you…” she said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. “How are you?”

Cassie stroked her cheek with the pad of her thumb for a moment before replying. “Depends.”

“On what?”

“If you’re going to run out on me.”

Faye looked at her with an expression Cassie couldn’t decipher. Finally, she just shrugged. “It’s my house, my room. I’m not going anywhere.”

Physically unable to keep from smiling, Cassie entwined Faye’s hand with hers and rested them both on top of the brunette’s stomach, above the covers. She snuggled further into the naked warmth of Faye’s body, not thinking twice about whether or not the other girl would refuse. Before last night, she would have worried about being too cuddly or too intimate, but not anymore. It just changed…everything.

Faye seemed to have given up on her 'go back to sleep' idea because she was staring at their linked hands and began to toy with Cassie’s hand. She traced each finger with her own, scratching her nails lightly along Cassie’s palm, absently lacing and unlacing their fingers.

Cassie felt so relaxed, so perfectly content, that she began to nod off. It had been so long since she just felt…happy. So much had happened to her in the last year, this was the first time in a long time that she didn’t feel the weight of all her burdens pressing down on her, plaguing her.

No. Not here. Not like this. Not with Faye.

The world had fallen away.

She wanted it to stay away forever, even if she knew it wasn’t possible. She just wanted it.

It was only when she caught Faye waving her hand that she woke up again fully. The brunette was waving back and forth across Cassie’s nails, changing the color of her nail polish each time.

At first she just watched in amusement at the myriad of colors that were popping up. Only with Faye had she started to see a different side of magic, that didn’t always have to be this _burden_. It could be enjoyed as well. She liked to believe that Faye had started to see a difference too, that magic wasn’t meant for her sole amusement, that it wasn’t to be taken so lightly. There were consequences and responsibility that came with it.

They balanced each other, amazingly enough.

After a multitude of sometimes pretty, sometimes ridiculously outlandish colors decorating her nails, a disgusting, puke green happened. Cassie bit Faye’s shoulder firmly in disapproval. The other girl just laughed and threatened that as punishment for doing that, Cassie would have to go around for the rest of the day with that color.

“I would rather die.”

“How dramatic of you.”

“ _Faye_ …” she whined.

“Yeah, like that’s going to work on me.”

Cassie bit her harder and Faye cried out, shoving her away, which resulted in a wrestling match. It was half them battling to pin each other down, half them fighting for control over the color of the nail polish. Cassie used Faye’s distraction to use her own magic to change the color, but Faye fought back against that just as hard as she fought against Cassie’s writhing body. At one point her nails looked like a crayola box threw up on it with all the split colors.

After a few minutes of this epic war, it was becoming far too difficult to ignore the way Faye’s naked body was sliding against hers… Cassie yelped when Faye finally managed to overpower her and threw her down on the bed, bouncing as she did so. She captured her wrists, and then it was over, Cassie was effectively pinned beneath her.

“I win,” Faye murmured huskily, hovering above her.

Grinning victoriously, her tongue darted out and licked Cassie’s lips before she ducked down to kiss her jaw and throat. When Cassie eagerly stretched her head back to give her more access, she caught a glimpse of her hands again. Faye had already changed the nail polish back to that godawful green vomit.

“Change it or these fingers,” she wiggled them to make her point, “are never touching you again.”

Faye narrowed her eyes at the threat. “It’s not like I’m that hard up for it, Cassie. Do what you want.”

“Oh, but that’s not what you were saying last night when you _begged_ me to-”

“Alright!” she cried quickly before Cassie could finish the rest and released her wrists, rolling away.

Laughing, Cassie curled up to her side again, soothing the bite mark on Faye’s shoulder. First with her lips, then her tongue. Faye changed her nails one last time, to a dark maroon, matching the color of the walls in her room. Cassie approved. Before long, Faye grew too distracted by the blonde’s wandering hands to experiment any more and soon they were kissing again.

“Maybe this is what our elders intended when the first Circle was ever formed,” Cassie murmured when she pulled away for a moment to breathe; letting her fingers dance across Faye’s swollen lips.

It was a random change of topic, she knew, but it’d been something she was thinking about ever since that night in the abandoned house. When she had revealed to Faye how she believed their powers could be linked, how Faye could have solo magic after they'd bound the Circle. After what Faye did…the fire… Cassie realized she had already opened herself to the other girl.

It was scary, sure, but for some reason, that trust she thought she didn’t have…it was already there. Her body, her magic, her heart, whatever it was that controlled that part of her, knew she was ready to trust Faye before her mind did.

Faye never really commented on it, but she always tried to show Cassie some kind of solo magic when they were alone. Maybe it was her way of showing her appreciation? That she didn’t take it for granted? Maybe she just wanted to remind Cassie that it was there. Maybe she just wanted to remind herself.

As odd as the change in subject might have been for anyone else, Faye didn’t even so much as blink. She followed right along.

“Our grandparents wanted everyone to sleep together? Some kind of magical orgy? _Yeah_. That’s disgusting and you’re a pervert.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “I was referring to the _connection_ part. And not our grandparents, our ancestors. The ones at the start of each of our family lines. What if every member of the Circle, hundreds of years ago, was able to connect with each other like I can with you? What if that’s the original purpose of binding our powers? So that we would never be divided? So we would always trust each other, be a part of one another. It would make us practically invincible. What if that’s the real purpose of the Circle and somehow along the way, it just got lost?”

“It’s an interesting theory,” Faye nodded, “incredibly _sappy_ , but interesting.”

“I’m serious! You don’t think it’s possible?”

She considered it. “I dunno.”

“You’re skeptical.”

“What does it matter? That was hundreds of years ago, just like you said, if that really was the case then it died out as the generations went on. We’ll never know the truth, so what’s the point of worrying about it?”

“I’d just like to have some answers for once. All we ever seem to get are more questions.“ She watched her for a moment. "You’re really against this idea, aren’t you?”

“No.”

“Then why brush me off?”

“I wasn’t! Jeez. I guess…I just thought it was nice that maybe… _somehow_ …it was something special that only we could do. Kind of lame if it’s just what was intended all along.”

Cassie rested her chin on Faye’s shoulder. “I think that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Shut up,” she groaned, turning her head away. “You’re such a pain in the ass.”

“Aw, there’s my girl,” Cassie cooed, stroking her cheek.

“I _hate_ you,” Faye said, looking back to stare daggers at her.

“And such a charmer! It’s no wonder I fell for you with lines like that.”

Faye’s mouth was against hers again insistently, demanding return, which Cassie was all too happy to give.

“Do you never shut up?” she muttered against Cassie’s lips.

“When you do that, I do.”

“Then I’ll have to do it more.”

“I dare you.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Faye, are you awake yet?” Dawn Chamberlain called.

“Crap!” She shot up out of the bed in the blink of an eye, trampling Cassie in the process, and dove on the floor to find some clothes, growling.

Cassie sat up as well, albeit much more slowly than the other girl had, and was met with a face full when Faye threw a shirt at her.

“Put it on!” she said hurriedly.

The doorknob rattled. “Why is the door locked again? We’ve talked about this.”

Cassie quickly yanked the shirt over her head, vaguely aware that it wasn’t even hers, and got back under the covers like Faye was forcefully gesturing for her to do.

“Just a minute, jeez!” She had found some of her own pajamas to put on. “ _Sleep_!” she whispered harshly to Cassie.

Immediately, she fell back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Faye opened the door with what Cassie assumed was an annoyed expression based on her tone.

“We were asleep, God! Cassie stayed over. It is _Saturday_ , you know. Couldn’t you just leave it alone for once?”

“And you know the rules,“ Dawn replied evenly. "No locked doors and no sleeping past eight. It ruins your sleep cycle.”

“It’s ridiculous and you know it. I didn’t even lock the door. It’s old, remember? It does it by itself sometimes.”

Cassie decided to make her presence known then, putting on a good show as she looked up blearily from the pillow and feigned rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Dawn tilted her head apologetically. “I’m sorry to wake you, Cassie. It’s just part of the routine in our house.”

“S'okay,” she mumbled, trying to make it look as convincing as possible.

The older woman turned back to her surly daughter and raised an eyebrow in warning. “Get dressed. I’ll make breakfast.”

“No need!” Faye shot back perkily and fooled no one. “Cassie and I were planning on going to the Java Brew for breakfast anyway.”

“But I could-”

“Gotta get ready, Mom!” she cut her off quickly and closed the door.

Safely alone again, Cassie sat up in the bed with wide eyes, watching as Faye turned around and rested against the wood of the door, tilting her chin up with a small sigh of relief.

“She doesn’t let you sleep in on the weekend?”

“Only on Sundays and that means nine o’clock instead of eight.”

“ _Wow_ …that’s-”

“Don’t get me started,” she grumbled and went to her closet, starting to look through for something to wear.

Cassie couldn’t help but be disappointed. “So, um, no chance of you coming back to bed?” she tried hopefully.

Faye glanced over her with a frown. “Not with my Mom around to keep interrupting us.”

Pouting, Cassie fell back onto the pillows.

“Come on, I’ll even buy you breakfast.”

“No you won’t.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because that would be like a date and you don’t want to date me," she teased, but Faye seemed to take it as something else.

“So consider it my way of making it up to you for the morning interruption,” she replied testily.

“Still _sounds_ like a date,” Cassie sang and clucked her tongue.

While she had said it in jest with completely innocent intentions, it landed horribly wrong with Faye. Cassie didn't know what it was, but something snapped in the other girl. Faye spun around on her angrily.

“Fine!” she snarled. “Just get out of my house then! I don’t really feel the need to go anywhere this early.”

Cassie was bewildered. “What?"

"I'm bored and you've overstayed your welcome. Time to go."

"You’re kicking me out?”

“Look who’s got a brain!” she said scathingly. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m doing. We’re _not_ dating. We’re not _anything_. Get dressed and leave.” She pointed to the door. “It’ll be your very first walk of shame, Cassie Blake." She gave her a sickening smirk as she flicked her hair away from her face. "Oh, but don't worry, I'm sure it'll only be the first of many in your bright young future.”

Cassie couldn't do anything but stare at her blankly, unable to fathom what was happening. She had done a 180 in a span of mere seconds. Where was the Faye she’d just had in bed with her as they laughed and kissed and teased each other? Where was the Faye that had held her last night so tenderly, lovingly? The one who brought Cassie to heights of pleasure unknown. The one who had whispered reassurances against her ear. The one who had made love to her as the very first. Where had that Faye gone? Was this some sort of twisted game?

Unable to do anything but feel the hurt and anger bubble in her chest, Cassie managed to spit out an outraged, “Screw you!”

“Been there, done that _,”_ she snickered.

"GO TO HELL!”

“GET OUT!”

The mattress tilted up forcefully like a spring, flinging Cassie onto the floor. At exactly the same time, Faye screeched as her clothes started shooting out of her closet like bullets in a frenzied attack.

“Girls?” Dawn called from downstairs. “Is everything alright?”

“Just fine, Mrs. Chamberlain!” Cassie replied while Faye burrowed her way back up through the mountain of clothes that lay on top of her now – the entire contents of her closet. “Faye tripped!”

Both panting heavily, they glared at each other from their respective places on the floor.

“I can’t believe you _literally_ threw me out of your bed!"

“I can’t believe you dumped my entire goddamn closet on top of me!” she shot back. “Do you have any idea how long it’ll take me to clean this up?”

Cassie ignored her and stood up, wincing as she did. Landing on Faye’s hardwood floors like that hadn’t been the easiest. There was a definite bruise forming on her hip already. She knew this was too good to be true! She knew it wouldn’t last. She should never have let her guard down. Why was she so utterly stupid when it came to this girl? Focusing on anger right now was easier than feeling anything else. She needed to hold onto it or she would fall to pieces in a second. And that couldn't happen in front of Faye. She just needed to let the fury keep her afloat until she was away from this godforsaken room, away from _her_ , until it was safe to let the rest of her fall apart.

“What’s wrong?” Faye asked brusquely, getting up herself.

“Nothing,” she spat and started to pick up her clothes that were still in the same place she’d left them last night. However, when she leaned down, it caused another wave of pain. So when she tried to get her bra, a low hiss escaped through her gritted teeth.

“Cassie?”

There wasn’t any anger in Faye’s voice now, just genuine concern. Before she could reply, there were hands resting gently on her shoulders.

“Did I hurt you?”

She yanked away. “Wood floors tend to be a killer when you’re thrown down on them,” she replied darkly.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” She frowned, rubbing her forehead. “I don’t- That didn’t feel right.”

”You think?!” she snapped.

“No, I mean what I felt when that happened. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t..." She looked so distressed. "It wasn't our bound magic," she said. "It felt...like being somewhere I wasn't supposed to. Touching something that's not mine. It was angry at me for it. But it didn't feel bad, exactly. It was just so _strong_ , it took over... I don't know what I'm saying.”

But Cassie knew exactly what she was saying. She spun around with a vicious glare. “Looks like you tapped into my dark magic this time," she said bitterly. "Well, you’ve wanted it for so long, how did it feel? To lose complete control just because you got upset? That you hurt someone because of it? Was it as good as you imagined?”

Faye didn’t seem to be able to answer. Shaking her head in disbelief, Cassie went back to looking for the rest of her clothes. It was only a moment before Faye had whirled her around again and pressed a heated kiss to her lips. Cassie resisted at first, but Faye nipped at her lower lip pleadingly, and that was all it took for her to melt into the other girl’s arms. She dropped what clothes she found and slid her hands into that long, silky dark hair.

God, why? Why did she let her do this? How did she have this hold over her?

“I’m sorry,” Faye murmured against her lips between kisses. “I shouldn’t have said those things. I didn’t mean it.”

Cassie didn’t reply. Instead, she took one of Faye’s hands and ran it down her body so it was gently resting on her hip over the forming bruise.

“Heal it,” she whispered.

“I-I don’t know how to do that.” She looked at her uneasily. “We haven’t done that before.“

“First time for everything.”

“What if I draw from the wrong place again and lose control? I didn’t know it was possible for me to connect to both sides of your powers.”

Cassie wasn't fazed. "Do it," she ordered.

Leaving Faye’s hand where it was on her hip, she grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. Faye let out a yelp when Cassie bit her bottom lip almost hard enough to draw blood. No forgiveness yet, but she wasn't stopping either.

“Wait, wait,” Faye mumbled, breaking the kiss after a few moments longer. She was panting as she rested her forehead against Cassie’s. “I have to…concentrate…”

She closed her eyes and Cassie watched her every movement. From the slight frown, the crinkled forehead, the eyes squeezed shut, the lips mashed together, to the trembling shoulders. She wanted to see it all as much as she could feel it.

Faye’s palm grew warm, and then, without warning, she grasped Cassie’s hip painfully, causing her to cry out. As soon as she did, Faye released her, and her eyes popped open again. Furious, Cassie was about to rip into her for pulling a stunt like that when she realized the pain was gone. She reached down to gingerly touch the place on her hip and found there was no bruise at all, no sharp pain, not even the slightest ache to linger.

“You did it," she breathed in amazement.

Faye eyed her warily. “It doesn’t hurt anymore?”

“No,” Cassie gazed at her in wonder, “you healed me. It worked.”

She exhaled heavily. “I didn’t know we could do that.”

“You didn’t even use a spell. Was it...?”

'Was it dark magic again?', she wanted to ask, but already knew the answer.

“No," Faye confirmed quickly with a shake of her head. "I just…tried to feel it. Let the magic tell me what to do.”

Cassie raised an eyebrow, impressed. “I think you just might be learning.”

They still hadn't let go of each other. Standing in the middle of the room, half dressed, Faye's hands on her waist, Cassie's arms around her shoulders, pressed up against each other intimately and feeling just as battle weary as any fight with demons or witch hunters would have done.

“Can we start over?” Faye asked tentatively, barely above a whisper.

“Start over from where?”

“From when _the warden_ interrupted us,” she said gloomily.

“We’d have to be in bed for that and, unfortunately, as is it turns out…” Cassie motioned towards the mattress that lay askew, half off the box spring.

“Like you’d ever let that stop you.”

“You still going to buy me breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“Even if I want to call it a date?”

Faye grit her teeth. “Yes.”

“Okay, but you have to do one more thing for me.”

“Jesus Christ! What else do you want from me? Blood? A kidney?”

Cassie leveled her gaze at her seriously. “I need you to swear you’ll never pull anything like this again. I’m not…“ She sighed. "I _won’t_ put up with it. I’ll be _done_. Do you understand?”

Faye swallowed hard before nodding. The guilt on her face showed just how much she was hurting. Cassie wanted to kiss it all away. And she would.

“I swear.”

* * *

“You have a surefire way of ruining the afterglow, I’ll tell you that much,” Cassie muttered after they slid into their booth at the Java Brew.

Faye just stared out the window. They sat there in silence, just like they had the whole drive there, until a waitress came to take their order.

After the woman left, Faye ran her fingers through her hair anxiously.

“Cassie…what happened before…”

“Yeah, what _was_ that?” she snapped, harsher than she meant to.

“I don’t know,” Faye muttered, looking at her hands.

“You completely flipped out on me.”

“I guess.”

“You got so angry that you used my own powers against me.”

“Not anger.”

“What?”

“I wasn’t angry.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“You've pissed me off so many times, to the point where I could just choke you, and not in the fun way, but nothing like that has ever happened because of it.”

Cassie rolled her eyes. “Then what was it?”

Faye opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She looked so utterly torn. The waitress came back with their coffee. They watched her set it down in front of them, both silent, and waited until she was gone.

“You obviously have some idea of what it is," Cassie said tiredly. "Just tell me.”

She hesitated, her throat bobbing. Her gaze darted around, seemingly unable to even look at her.

“Fear.”

Cassie was speechless. She stared at her for a long moment before her shoulders slumped and she leaned back against the booth. She didn't realize how she'd still been holding her breath, her guard up, waiting for Faye to flip the script again until that moment. Of all the things she could have said, that was the last thing Cassie expected. But the second she said it, suddenly it all made so much sense. It was so obvious, staring her right in the face, that Cassie wondered how it hadn't been her very first thought? Was she that blind?

“I...I was afraid," Faye continued, "and that’s when it happened.”

“What were you afraid of?” she asked softly.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You threw me out of your bed because of it. You somehow drew out my dark magic because of it. It matters.”

Faye couldn’t look at her, instead staring out the window while worrying a groove in the table with her thumbnail.

“We were fine. It was - it was _okay_ , wasn’t it?” Cassie looked around to make sure there wasn’t anyone in earshot, lowering her voice. “Wasn’t last night…?” She couldn’t finish that.

Faye's gaze snapped away from the window to meet hers. “That’s _not_ it. Last night was…last night was…” She shook her head in frustration. “I should be asking you that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t do this kind of thing!” she said helplessly, holding her hands up. “I told you that! I’m not used to all of this. I don’t know what you want from me o-or how to give it to you. This morning was… When you started talking about dates, old habits kicked in. _Hard_. When Jake-” She stopped cold the second his name passed her lips and waved Cassie off to say she didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

_Jake. Of course._

She was starting to understand what happened a lot more now.

“Faye,” she said gently, “up until you had your _Exorcist_ -style personality transplant, everything was as perfect as perfect gets. Last night was _amazing_. I woke up this morning just so…happy. You make me happy, you know? When you’re not being a complete bitch from hell, that is.”

Faye chuckled bemusedly.

“I know this is new for you and it’s obviously new for me too, so can’t we just relax and let it happen to us together? You don’t have to know how to do everything, just know…I’ll do anything not to hurt you.”

She looked up sharply.

“I really care about you and it’s not going to be the same as it was… _before_.”

She wanted to say ‘it’s not going to be the same as it was with that asshole Jake that I’ll bury six feet under before he gets a chance to lay his hands on you again’ but thought better of it.

Faye swallowed thickly, meeting her eyes, and nodded understandingly. “Forgive me for ruining this morning?”

“ _Almost_ ruining it,” she corrected her with a shy smile. “Almost.”

* * *

They settled into a comfortable silence. Both still needing time to process the events of last night and earlier that morning. Cassie was content to sip at her coffee, holding the warm mug between her hands, and watch Faye across the table. Faye seemed just as okay to do the same. They were finding solid ground again after so many emotional upheavals in such a short time span. It was comforting to be with Faye like this. To be able to soak in her presence as the memory of last night flashed through her head, heating her body with shivers of pleasure. She was sure her cheeks were aflame when the waitress brought over their breakfast, putting their plates down in front of them. Cassie nodded at her with a thankful smile, but when she walked away, it reminded her of something she needed to do.

“You haven’t even tasted it yet, what could possibly be wrong?”

Cassie realized she must have been frowning and shook her head. “It’s not that. Diana told me they’re hiring here.”

“And?”

“I have to apply. I need a job.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Uh, _yes_ , I do. If I ever want to be able to go shopping or pay my phone bill.”

“Your grandmother pays for all that.”

“Yeah and I feel bad about it. I need to contribute more.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Faye said as she sipped her latte nonchalantly. “You are _so_ not working here.”

“Um, excuse me? Since when do you think you can give me orders?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying, you don’t need to be a lowly waitress slaving away at minimum wage for lowly unwashed masses of normals that won’t tip you a dime. Though I have to admit, it might be kind of hot to see you run around in an apron taking orders…”

“You have very strange fantasies,“ she said. "I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Cassie, look at my jacket.” Faye pulled at the collar. “This is real leather.”

“So?”

“So? It’s worth like over a grand in retail. The jeans? Two hundred.”

“Your entire outfit right now cost you over twelve hundred dollars?”

“Not including the necklace, the belt, the earrings, or the boots, which are Louboutin. I’ll leave that price tag to your imagination. So tell me, oh brilliant one, how is it that a girl like me, with a single working mother that has the salary of a lowly public school principal, can afford to dress as stylishly _sexy_ as I do?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to add shoplifting to your rap sheet, along with arson, and general mayhem.”

“ _Cute_. But no. There’s a lot more perks to being a witch that you’ve yet to see. It used to be all fun and games before you brought your demons and witch hunters along to Chance Harbor. You’ve been a total wet blanket fixating on all that.”

“Hey! We’ve done some fun things with magic… Haven’t we?”

“You’re kidding, right?” She looked at her incredulously. “What we’ve been doing is off the charts _insane_. It’s such an incredible rush. Don’t you feel it?”

Cassie nodded shyly.

Faye grinned, pleased. "I just meant stuff that Melissa and I have been doing for ages. Small potatoes, but oh so very useful in daily life.”

“Like magically opening your locker?”

“It’s _my thing_.”

Cassie folded her arms on the table and leaned forward. “So what other ‘small potatoes’ are you talking about?”

“We’re witches. We can do anything we want. Money? So ridiculously easy to come by.”

“You steal it?”

“No!” she scoffed. “A spell every now and then keeps our wallets from never _ever_ having to be lonely.”

“You…make it?”

“A little duplicating spell,” she shrugged, “easy as one-two-three.”

“That’s counterfeiting!”

“ _No_. It’s as real as real money gets. Instead of coming from the US Treasury, it just appears out of thin air. _Poof_!” She waved her hands with a grin.

“I don’t know…" she sat back, "it’s like cheating.”

“I _just_ might kick you.”

Cassie made a face. “It’s illegal…somehow.”

“Yeah and they burned witches at the stake so we’re technically outlaws anyway just for being born.”

“Over embellishing.”

“Over thinking!” she countered. “We’re witches, we have powers, we get to use them however we want.”

“As long as we don’t hurt innocent people.”

“And who’s getting hurt? We’re not taking it from anyone. We’re not even putting fake bills into circulation. It’s _real_ money, Cassie. Just no one will ever know where it came from.”

She sighed. “I’ll consider it.”

Their waitress came over again to ask if they needed anything and they both politely shook their heads.

“HEY, GIRLY! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET A FREAKING CUP OF COFFEE AROUND HERE?” an older man yelled from the other side of the restaurant.

The waitress sighed and shrugged at the girls before going over to apologize to the customer and take his order. Faye sipped her latte leisurely while watching the scene and then looked at Cassie with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, you win, no waitressing for me,” she said quickly and dug into her breakfast.

The brunette chuckled.

"Wanna go shopping later?”


	8. Chapter 8

They'd been on the run the whole the night, finally backed into a corner in an old warehouse. Hunters surrounded them with strange crystals that suppressed their powers. One of them got a hold of Faye and pinned her down with a sacrificial blade to her throat. The others were screaming in pure terror. No way out.

But the second that hunter laid his hands on Faye, Cassie felt the darkness surge up her spine. There was no hesitation. No trying to wrestle it back. Whatever the crystals powers were, they didn't impact dark magic. So Cassie gave herself over.

She heard the murmurs of fear as they saw her energy building, her magic gathering. She heard them yelling at each other to take her down, but it was useless. She'd formed a protective ring around her and the others. The hunter holding Faye was already dead on the ground. The Circle backed up slowly towards Cassie, afraid of the hunters, but wary of Cassie as well. They decided she was...literally...the lesser evil in that moment.

She heard the screams as the hunters died. One by one, dropping dead in writhing torment, but then more appeared behind them. They came running with other magicked objects. Trying to throw a shimmering sort of net around them. Cassie eviscerated it. With all the power she possessed, she unleashed darkness on them all in a roaring blaze of witches fire. The crystals exploded in terrific cracks of lightning, blowing holes through the walls of the warehouse. The ceiling burned up in seconds and caved in, massive pieces of steel and wood crashed to the ground, shaking the earth. Cassie's protective shield around them was the only thing that kept them unharmed. The warehouse was now ablaze with light from the dozens of men on fire, like pillars of flames, screeching like wounded animals as they tried to run away, but only made it a few feet before they succumbed.

She saw the look on Faye's face from where she lay on the ground, staring up at her in fear.

Then the darkness consumed her and she knew nothing more.

* * *

Faye got to her feet slowly, the bile in her stomach rising at the smell of human flesh burning choked the air. Diana and Adam were shouting Cassie's name, but there was no reply. Faye didn't have to look at her to know what was happening. She could feel it. Black magic was overtaking her soul, so much so that Faye could hardly feel what was left of her, only a sickening void in her place. Jake grabbed her arm in a painful grip and tried to pull her away.

"Run," he said. "She's gone. We can't save her."

With the crystals destroyed, Faye had her powers back. She slammed her palm into Jake's chest and sent him skidding a few feet back.

He yelled her name, but she didn't care. Cassie was standing there, still, her chest heaving with exertion, but there was this unsettling little smirk on her lips. It was so empty. So foreign. The others were right to be afraid. Cassie turned her head slightly and Faye saw her eyes. Fear chilled her veins at the sight. They were pools of blackness where once brilliant and relentless blue used to shine. Ancient dark magic pulsed all around her. Faye could feel it encroaching on her own soul. It was so powerful and enthralling. You wanted to run, but at the same time you couldn't look away.

"Faye!" Melissa was beside her. "We have to go. She'll kill us next. It's not her anymore!"

"We can't leave her!"

"We have to!"

Sure enough, Melissa was right. Cassie reached out towards Adam, who was trying to talk her down, with an open palm and suddenly closed it into a fist, yanking down hard. Adam was smashed to the floor by an invisible force. His head made a sickening thud as it hit the cement.

Faye didn't have time to think. While Cassie was staring down at Adam, she ran right at her, maybe intending to tackle her, who knows? But Cassie turned just in time and Faye was suddenly frozen in place. The others were trying spells to bind Cassie, but it was useless. Cassie was stronger than all of them combined. Those black eyes locked onto her. The vapid little smirk never changed. Faye felt herself being forced to her knees, her throat closing in. She wretchedly tried to gasp for air, but it was useless. Blood was rushing to her face and spots appeared in her vision. This is how she was going to die? This is how it ended for them?

Jake shouted a warning behind them and the massive metal doors of the warehouse collapsed with such a thunderous boom, it shook the already precarious beams holding up what was left of the building. He and Diana were trying to escape, carrying a wounded Adam between them. Melissa seemed torn about what to do, wanting to escape to safety, but knew that would mean leaving her best friend behind.

Fortunately, the crash of the doors provided Faye with the opening she needed. Momentarily distracted, Cassie looked towards the noise to see the others on the run, and Faye felt the ancient power's grip flutter ever so slightly.

A breath of air filled her lungs enough for her to cry out, " _Dejicio!"_

If it were anyone else, that spell would have sent them hurtling to the ground and pinned them there. But for Cassie, it only caused her to stumble back as if someone mindlessly bumped into her in a crowd. Faye wasn't giving up though. With Cassie slightly off balance, she kicked her leg out and swept Cassie's foot, knocking the girl on her back. Out of breath and out of her mind with fear, Faye couldn't think of anything else but to use the last bits of strength she had to scramble on top of Cassie. She screamed her name in her face, desperate for her to hear her. She struck her hard against her cheek, trying to snap her out of it, but it didn't do anything. 

"DAMN IT, CASSIE! PLEASE!"

Cassie seemed slightly dazed, but those unrelenting black eyes still stared up at her. 

So Faye hit her again. And again. Yelling her name all the while. She didn't know what else to do. She just needed Cassie back.  


"I know you can hear me. I can feel you in there!"  


She grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the ground, pleading with her to come back.

"I'm here! I'm right here! You're stronger than it, Cassie. You have to fight!"

She used her fists, in a fit of rage and desperation. As if she could physically beat the darkness out of her somehow. 

"GODDAMN IT, CASSIE, FIGHT!"

With another hard punch and slamming her shoulders against the concrete again, Cassie blinked. Once. Twice. Faye stopped mid-motion with her fist cocked back. It was the longest heartbeat of her life, but then she was looking down into those bright blue eyes again. The darkness had released its hold. Faye dropped her arm at once and Cassie looked up at her in bewilderment.

It wasn't just that Cassie looked like herself again, the black magic thrumming through the air was extinguished as well. It was quiet. A peaceful stillness. Faye could feel her presence again fully. Vibrant and alive and utterly exhausted.

Cassie reached up to touch Faye's cheek and her hand came back wet to both of their surprise. Faye didn't realize that she'd been sobbing the whole time. The adrenaline that fueled her was gone and she slumped over, rolling off Cassie with her last bit of energy. They laid there next to each other, breathing heavily. Flames still crackled all over the warehouse where it caught fire from Cassie's magic. The building creaked and groaned, telling them that it was one gust of wind away from collapsing on them.

Melissa and Diana crept back inside, wary of what they would find. When they saw them both, relatively unharmed, with Cassie back to her normal self, they breathed a shared sigh of relief.

“Thank God."

Melissa knelt down next to Faye, looking over her to see if she was alright. Faye nodded gratefully as she sat up.

Diana was still fearful. "Jake is with Adam. We need to get him to a hospital."

"Go."

"But you heard what that man said before, that there's an army coming. They could be here any minute. We can't separate now."

"Oh, I think that ship has sailed, don't you?" Faye said darkly.

Diana looked wounded. "I had to get Adam to safety. I didn't _want_ to leave you."

"I'll get them out," Melissa reassured her. "We'll meet up again tomorrow. Go take care of Adam."

Conflicted, Diana looked from Cassie to Faye and then nodded with a resigned sigh. She ran out of the building and they heard a car start in the distance, driving away. Faye slowly got to her knees and tried to help Cassie up, but Cassie shook her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“I...I don’t feel good.”

She sounded so weak and small. Nothing like her usual self. Her nose was bleeding, her face swollen, and there was definitely the beginnings of a black eye showing. Faye's methods had been brutal, but effective. Cassie looked every bit as beat up as Faye's knuckles felt. But it was more than that. Her pallor was a sickly ashen. She looked as though she might crumble to dust if held too tightly.

Melissa went to her side and helped Faye get Cassie to her feet as a cough rattled her body. She wobbled precariously as she stood, her knees buckling. She had her arms wrapped around Faye’s neck and was holding on for dear life, trembling with the exertion of it.

“My car is over the hill. We’re not going to make it like this. And it’s already dangerous to still be here. Like Diana said, there could be more on the way as we speak.”

“I know,” Faye replied tersely. She looked around for a moment, weighing her options, and then back at Cassie who didn’t seem able to focus her eyes at the moment, much less help them with a plan. “I got this.”

She took hold of Cassie’s hold of arms, turned around, and bent down to hoist her onto her back. She shifted around and hiked Cassie up as high as she could until she could lock her hands beneath her bottom. Cassie was absolutely no help because she didn’t even have the strength to wrap her legs around her. She hunched forward to keep Cassie on her properly and looked at Melissa.

“Let’s move. We need to hurry. You take the lead.”

Melissa nodded quickly and they started trudging back to the car, not moving as fast as they should have, but it was the best Faye could do with carrying Cassie on her back and trying to sprint at the same time. Together, they were able to help Cassie into the car and laid her down on the backseat.

“Faye...” Cassie mumbled, following it with something nonsensical.

She tried hard not to let it distract her. "Where are we supposed to go? Her grandmother is home. We can’t bring her in like this.”

“We'll go to my place," Melissa said. "We can bring her to the pool house and stay with her, see how she is in the morning. But if she doesn't start to get better, she’s going to need her grandmother, like it or not. Do you think it’s like...a witch sickness or something?”

Faye was grim as she looked at Cassie's fragile form curled on the seats. “I think using dark magic literally sucks the life out of her.”

Melissa shuddered at the thought and got behind the wheel while Faye hopped in the backseat with Cassie. They were back on paved road again when Cassie groaned and reached out, grasping air instead of whatever she was looking for.

“What is it?” Faye asked.

Hearing her voice appeared to be soothing because Cassie’s whole body relaxed. She reached towards Faye this time, in the direction of her voice, and grasped her thigh. She pulled herself over slightly just enough so that she could lay her head in Faye’s lap, her face pressed against Faye’s stomach. Sighing, Faye allowed it, and started to comb her fingers though Cassie’s hair. She looked down at the sleeping, or just plain unconscious, girl, and breathed a deeper sigh of relief than before. Cassie was safe. She’d killed the witch hunters. She was herself again, dark magic hadn’t taken her away completely...not yet. There was still time to stop this.

Ever since she stepped foot into Chance Harbor, Cassie looked out for and protected every member of the Circle. Now it was their turn to protect her. Cassie couldn’t use dark magic anymore, tonight was nothing if not proof of that, but without it, they were all going to be sitting ducks unless they seriously upped their game. They took Cassie’s abilities for granted and now they were seeing the cost of such magic. Anger burned in her chest. Those cowards decided to flee instead of save her. They didn’t deserve Cassie's protection anymore.

Cassie made a soft noise in the back her throat that sounded like a contented hum. Faye’s hands stuttered in their gentle strokes through Cassie’s hair, but she resumed quickly. Melissa met her eyes in the rear-view mirror.

“You really do care about her, don’t you?”

“We almost sacrificed her to save ourselves. Excuse me if I’m having a moment of feeling guilty about it.”

“Except you didn't. You stayed. The rest of us left, but you refused, and I...I couldn’t leave you. Not after everything we’ve been through together.”

“She deserves better than people willing to do that to her," Faye snapped.

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be.”

Melissa's eyes filled with tears and she swallowed them back, accepting the blow, knowing she deserved it. They fell into silence for a long while with nothing but the sound of the road rushing by as they drove back home. The sky was getting lighter as dawn approached.

"Thank you..." Faye said at last, glancing at her, "for coming back."

She nodded. “Let’s get her settled at the pool house and then maybe we can find something to drink.”

“If it’s anything less than the entire bottle, it won’t be enough to erase this night.”

“Even the bottle couldn’t do that,” she replied with a sigh. “Not this time.”

Cassie made restless noises and moved her face closer to Faye, her nose pressed against her belly as she fisted Faye’s flowing shirt in her hands. Faye left one palm on top of her head and other hand went to Cassie’s waist, gently holding her in place so that she didn’t go rolling as the car made its twists and turns.

“It’s okay,” she leaned down and whispered to her. “You’re okay now. Just sleep.”

Melissa glanced at her in the rear view mirror again, but this time said nothing and Faye ignored it.

* * *

Cassie slept on and off for the next 24 hours. Faye and Melissa took turns sitting with her so that there was always someone on watch. Diana returned with a shaken Adam who suffered a head contusion, but luckily no concussion. Faye wouldn't allow Jake into the house.

No army came.

When Cassie finally woke, she seemed stronger, more like herself again. But she didn't remember any of what happened.

"What's the last thing you do remember?"

She looked at Faye. "That hunter grabbed you and then...nothing. I woke up here, in the pool house, with a serious hangover."

The Circle exchanged worried glances.

Cassie's chest tightened and she clenched her jaw, bracing herself.

"What did I do?"

They took turns describing what happened, but she didn't really believe them. How could she? She didn't have a single memory of it. Not even an inkling of familiarity. It seemed like a joke even, until Faye showed her the broken skin and bruises on her knuckles, then had Cassie look in a mirror to see the damage she'd done.

"She saved you. I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't been there," Diana said quietly.

Faye didn't seem able to look her in the eye or bring herself to touch her. Cassie didn't know what to make of it.

"Was it really that bad?" she whispered to her later when they were alone.

"It always changes you."

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever you use it," Faye explained, "doesn't matter if it's small or simple or something stronger, it makes you change."

It wasn’t so noticeable in the beginning, but after a few months, Faye grew increasingly worried at how often Cassie would used dark magic. Cassie kind of liked it, the power, the feeling of freedom, but she could see that it was bothering Faye, and that was enough to make her promise to try not to use it as much. When they talked about it, Faye told her that she was right to be afraid of it as she'd been when it first started manifesting. The dark magic running through Cassie’s blood was power they didn’t understand. The power, Cassie liked, the fear in Faye’s eyes was what she couldn’t bear. So she promised to be more careful. But then more hunters came with demons and hellfire. She didn't have a choice. It was use it or they died.

"You never said that before."

"I'm saying it now."

"I can't just not use it. We need my powers. You said it yourself, it's the reason why we're still alive."

"It almost killed you in the process."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. I saw it with my own goddamn eyes. Just because you can't remember it, doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"I'm fine now, aren't I?" Cassie scoffed, shaking her head, and turned away.

“Why do you have to use it at all?" she asked. "I know you can feel the difference between the two. Just connect with me and draw from our bound magic. Like I do with you.”

“I can’t,” Cassie muttered.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because you won’t let me!”

And there it was.

They'd been dancing around this glaring omission for a while now. Cassie was an open book for Faye, magically speaking, but Faye might as well have been a wall of steel. There was no getting through, no matter how hard Cassie tried. She realized in that moment that it hadn’t even occurred to Faye before now. Why would it? Cassie always had solo powers to use and Faye didn't ask why she always drew from dark magic. Maybe she assumed Cassie preferred it. She never considered that she didn't have another option, didn't consider that she wasn't able to reciprocate what Cassie was able to do for her.

Faye said nothing and the conversation ended.

* * *

Oddly, life went back to some semblance of normal. Whatever normal was for them now.

The so called "army" they'd been threatened with never showed. It'd been three months since the night in the warehouse and there wasn't so much as a cricket chirp from the hellions that'd been so relentless in their pursuit. Jake said they weren't gone, only using the time to gather their forces now that they knew about Cassie. The others weren't so quick to agree. There'd been dozens of hunters killed that night. It didn't seem like any managed to escape alive. So how would they know about Cassie? How many of these people were out there? If any had escaped, why hadn't they come after them yet? Finally, Jake himself had to admit he'd never heard about there being enough hunters out there that could be considered an army.

So, slowly, they went back to their lives, but it didn't stop them from looking over their shoulders.

Over the span of those three months, Cassie wore Faye down until she finally agreed to let the Circle know about them. Melissa didn't even pretend to be surprised when they told her, but they did manage to shock the hell out of Diana. However, she recovered quickly and happily jumped on board, offering effusive support. Jake and Adam, unfortunately, became black holes of misery. Afterwards, Faye admitted it'd been worth it just to see their reactions.

Another month passed and by then the whole school knew about them. It went from Faye being the resident bad girl, to Cassie and Faye being the resident lesbian couple. They got some odd looks and nasty comments in the beginning, but those particular people had a few minor accidents happen to them. Such as a tray of cafeteria food being dumped on them, some really…really bad hair days, and even an unfortunate incident of pants falling down in the middle of a pep rally to reveal a pair of pink My Little Pony boxer shorts.

After that, they didn’t really have any more problems with their classmates.

“Ready for chem?” Cassie came up just as Faye was closing her locker.

“Gonna set another beaker on fire?”

“Maybe if you’re good.”

“Tease.” Faye grinned and took her hand as they walked down the hall together.

“Are we going to Diana’s slumber party tonight?”

“Nu-uh. No way. I can’t stand her.”

“Liar.”

“She’s boring!”

“She’s nice, Faye. Try not to get the two confused.”

“They’re the same thing.” She sniffed and shifted the books in her arms. “We’ve had this conversation.”

“And I won it last time too. So we’re going.”

“No, we’re not.”

“ _Faye_ …” she drawled teasingly, “do you happen to remember exactly how I won last time?”

She stopped all of a sudden and looked at Cassie who smirked.

“That is _evil_ ,” she hissed. “Pure freaking evil.”

“I’m dark magic girl.” She shrugged innocently. “It’s _my thing_. Besides, it’s gonna get you to go.”

At that, Faye dropped her hand and stormed off to Chemistry alone muttering about how much she hated Cassie Blake and rued the day she ever came to Chance Harbor. Poor Melissa just happened to walk by at the wrong time and was bewildered when Faye grabbed her and dragged into the classroom by the arm. Cassie was still laughing when Diana cheerily walked up beside her.

“So are you guys gonna make it? Movie night! Popcorn, ice cream, Brad Pitt…”

That only made her laugh harder and Diana looked sheepish.

"I know it seems silly. We've all been through so much and then just having something as normal as a sleepover... It makes everything so surreal. Like we're not being hunted down like animals because we have magical powers. But I think that's what makes doing these kinds of things, normal teenager things, all the more important. We have to preserve some semblance of our lives to carry on that way otherwise--"

"We become consumed by the bad stuff and then that's all we are."

She sighed, relieved that Cassie understood. "Exactly."

"I don't think it's silly." She squeezed Diana's arm with a smile. "Of course we’ll be there. I'm _so_ going to pay for it though.”

“Why?” she frowned. “You don’t think Faye will have fun? We could try to find a movie that has some really hot girls in it for you guys…”

Cassie stared at her. “I _cannot_ believe you just said that."

"I’m simply trying to be a good hostess.” Diana grinned, eyes twinkling.

“Well, I appreciate you trying to take our female interests to heart, but I don’t need to _watch_ hot girls. I have one of my own.”

“You two are so head over heels for each other,” she sighed dreamily. “It’s the cutest thing.”

“Don’t let Faye catch you saying that.”

“What? Why? You’re obviously in lo-”

“We haven’t…” Cassie cut her off and swallowed uncomfortably, “reached that point yet.”

“I see,” she replied carefully.

“The _words_ part.”

Not that she hadn’t already had them on her tongue for months now. She was just waiting…for something…for some sign that saying those three little words wouldn’t make her girlfriend do a drag racing imitation out of their relationship, replete with screeching brakes and burnt rubber.

“I get it,” Diana said sympathetically. “But Cassie?”

She looked at her.

“Faye may not have said it yet, but she does, you know? I see it every time she looks at you. You’d have to be blind not to.”

Cassie blushed, but managed to give her a thankful nod anyway.

“So!” She moved to change the topic. “You really don’t think she’ll have a good time tonight?”

“It won’t be a problem.” She smiled at Diana reassuringly. “I _know_ she’ll have fun. We just have to throw some magic into the mix.”

“What kind of spells are we talking about here?” she asked warily.

They walked into Chemistry together and Cassie was grinning from ear to ear. Faye’s glower had turned into more of a pout by now and her gaze flickered up anxiously to her before going back to chat with Melissa. Cassie sat with Diana, who was her lab partner now since Adam was switched to help a struggling student in the class.

She turned to the other girl after taking out her books and glanced at Faye’s back. “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of it.”

Diana shrugged, trusting Cassie to know what she was doing at this point, and the two of them focused on the lesson. A few minutes later, Faye shifted on the stool uncomfortably. Cassie kept her eyes on the teacher. Then Faye moved again. And again. Melissa elbowed her friend with a pointed look to get her to stop. The movement was distracting, not to mention annoying. The brunette stilled for a few minutes after that, but clenched the edge of the lab table till her knuckles turned white. Then she started moving again, kind of like she was stretching, but there was something peculiar about it.

Her restlessness became so noticeable that even Diana nudged Cassie and whispered, "Is Faye alright? I keep hearing her… _groan_. Do you think she’s sick?”

Cassie looked at Faye’s back curiously. “I don’t know. She seemed fine before class.”

Just then, Faye gave a loud whimper and jumped out of her seat, running out of the room with a rushed excuse of “bathroom” but you could hear her cursing under her breath. The bright red cheeks and flustered expression was all too telling.

Cassie snickered which made Diana and Melissa turn around to stare at her accusingly. She tried to make herself appear as innocent as possible, but it didn’t work. Giving up, she raised her hand and smoothly asked to be excused to check on Faye. Their teacher waved her on so Cassie smirked at Diana mischievously before leaving the classroom. Diana met Melissa’s gaze and they both shook their heads before refocusing on the lesson. Faye and Cassie were fooling no one.

* * *

She was walking past the door to the boiler room when a hand shot out and pulled her in. Cassie was thrust into complete darkness and heard the lock click behind her as hands grasped her upper arms.

“You bitch,” she spat. “I can’t believe you did that to me right in the middle of class!”

“You _loved_ it and you know it,” she purred, moving in closer so her body was flush against Faye’s. “How hard did you cum this time? I think I’m getting better at it.”

“If you thought _that_ was enough to get me to go Diana’s slumber-rama,” she snapped, “you were sorely mistaken.”

“Then what will be enough?”

Faye grabbed her ass and lifted her up onto a stack of crates in one swift movement. Cassie yelped in surprise.

“I’ll let you know.”

* * *

Faye dubbed Diana’s slumber party as “the most traumatic night of my life” and she refused to admit that they'd all had a really fun time together, yet she didn't hold a grudge against Cassie for pushing her to go and she was much less resistant to the idea when Melissa volunteered to host the next one. To show her appreciation for Faye being a good sport and playing along, Cassie spent the next week bringing her girlfriend coffee and breakfast when she picked her up before school. Naturally, Faye soaked up every minute of it with childish glee and a healthy dose of gloating. Cassie didn't mind it in the least because it was worth it just to see the glowing smile on her face each morning when she opened the door.

After Cassie practically ran the witch hunters into extinction, they went exactly four months and eighteen days without anything more than the occasional spell mishap that they'd caused themselves. Then one unassuming morning with the sun shining, Spring sprung, all six members of the Circle walked outside their homes at the exact same time and found a gemstone on each of their doorsteps with the image of a crow carved into it. Diana and Cassie looked through their book of Shadows and came to the same conclusion - it was an ancient omen. By picking up the hematite, otherwise known as 'the blood stone', they'd each been marked for death...or so the tale went. They banded together and waited for an attack, but none came. They really didn't know what to make of it. 

Cassie and Melissa considered the possibility that it was from someone or _something_ they hadn't encountered yet. The others believed it had to be the remaining hunters they were warned about. Jake was getting antsier by the day. He swore that the witch hunters were planning something and used that excuse to hang around Cassie nearly 24/7 to “protect her”. It wasn't even the slightest bit subtle. Cassie was struggling with what to do about him while Faye...

Well. Faye was not taking it well.

Cassie and Melissa were discussing it during their usual shared lunch period. Faye had almost set Jake on fire the week before. He'd come on to Cassie, told her that she was making a mistake being with Faye, and then tried to kiss her. Of course, Cassie rebuffed him and walked away, but she still had to tell Faye about what happened, as much as she just wanted to forget the whole thing happened. It went as badly as she expected it to. In a fit of rage, Faye confronted him and they had a huge argument in front of the whole group. When Jake said that he was the only one that had the best chance of protecting Cassie, which sounded a whole lot like 'I'm better for her than you', magic whipped through Cassie so fast, she lost her breath. It took a beat for her to realize that it wasn't coming from her, but from Faye, and managed to intervene just in the nick of time. That was the closest Faye had ever come to revealing her new abilities to the Circle.

They hadn’t told the others yet about Faye being able to do solo magic. It surprised Cassie because she was sure one of the first things Faye would want to do after telling them about their relationship, was to rub it in their faces that she also had individual powers again, stronger than before, and they were still stuck with having to be with each other for any magic.

Yet, she was actually really serious about wanting to keep it a secret. After a lot of needling, Faye finally caved and told her why.

She wanted this part of them to be just for _them_.

Cassie didn’t even have the heart to tease her about it. She only kissed her and never brought it up again, which she was sure Faye was relieved about. For her to say what she did, it looked like she was having a root canal. Every time Cassie remembered the look on Faye’s face, she had to stifle a giggle.

But that was Faye.

“You know…” Melissa said, breaking Cassie out of her thoughts, “I have to admit, when I found out what was going on between you two, it really surprised me. Of course, I figured it out like 3 months before you guys said anything, but still.”

“It was kind of a surprise for me too.”

“And it’s not because you’re a girl,” she added hastily. “Faye’s my friend, I’ve known her forever. She’s never been very particular about the whole boy/girl thing. It didn’t matter to her.”

“So it surprised you because it was me?”

“Duh!” She laughed. “Cassie, come on, Faye had it out for you from _day one_. You guys were at each other’s throats! I thought we’d have to watch some kind of epic smackdown eventually, but turns out you had a different kind of smackdown in mind…”

She blushed and threw one of her chips at Melissa.

“But in all seriousness, it makes sense now. Faye’s never been _conventional_ when it comes to showing her feelings…”

“I’ll drink to that,” Cassie snorted, lifting a bottle of water in a toast, and took a sip.

“Her fixation should have given it away, but I just wasn’t paying attention enough. I’m really glad you guys are together, you know.” She sighed and leaned forward. “I’ve never seen Faye so happy before.”

Cassie’s heart skipped a beat and she couldn’t help the enormous smile that appeared. She ducked her head shyly. “Yeah?”

Melissa nodded. “I mean, she’s still a _total_ bitch, but now she’s a…happier one?”

She chuckled. “I’m sure Faye will be glad to know she hasn’t lost her edge.”

“She hasn't talked about trying to get her powers back in _ages_ , which is amazing, because ever since we bound the Circle that was ALL she’d been thinking about.”

Cassie swallowed thickly, feeling unsettled, but she quickly shoved those nagging thoughts away. The way she always did.

“You guys are good together. Scary sometimes! But good.”

“ _Scary_?” Cassie made a face. “We are not!”

“Hey, it’s Chance Harbor’s biggest bad girl and the wicked dark magic girl teamed up together. You could take over the world.”

That had them both laughing.

“What are we talking about?” Faye asked as she walked up to the table and sat down next to Cassie.

She turned to her girlfriend knowingly. “Skipping Global again?”

“What can I say? The past doesn’t seem to _enlighten_ me as much as it does Mr. Connor. Unless it has to do with the ancient magic fueling our bloodlines, then history is just…” She pretended to yawn.

“You’re a good influence, Cassie,” Melissa said, seemingly impressed. “A few months ago she wouldn’t have even cared about the history of our magic either.”

“Well, someone has to be the good one in this relationship.” She smirked at Faye.

“A job you do too well, oh annoying self-righteous one.”

Cassie rolled her eyes, but the smile never left. It only grew wider when Faye reached across the table to take her hand and pulled it into her lap to hold against her stomach. She really loved being able to touch Cassie, but never wanted it to _look_ like that, so casually playing with her fingers while pretending to look bored was the only way she knew how to do it. Cassie didn’t mind in the least.

“So what were you two cackling about?”

“Just talking about how you and Cassie are going to take over the world."

“Ooooh, like supervillains!” Faye said excitedly, liking the idea. She leaned over to Cassie’s lunch and picked up a cherry tomato, popping into her mouth. “We would be so hot in the skintight leather outfits. The world would thank us for taking over just to be able to look at us.”

“Someone sure does think a lot of themselves,” Diana said as she took a seat next to Melissa.

Faye rolled her eyes. “ _Diana_ , to what to do we owe this punishment that is your presence?”

“I finished my extra credit assignment early so I asked to leave early for lunch because I was hungry.”

“Well, I like it!” Melissa said happily. “It’s nice to have you guys with us for a change.”

“Hey! What, am I not enough for you?” The blonde pouted.

“Oh, _Cassie_ ,” Melissa purred, batting her eyelashes, and put her hand on her arm, “you know just how much you mean to me, but shhh,” she glanced furtively at Faye, “we shouldn’t say anything more. _She’s_ here.”

“You think you’re so freaking funny,” Faye muttered, glowering as she shifted in her chair.

The three girls were laughing.

“Aw, Faye.” Diana put her hand on her chest. “You’re so sweet when you get jealous.”

“You know, I’m thinking maybe history isn’t all that bad compared to this!” She released Cassie and started to get up, but Cassie pulled her back down, and even dragged her chair closer for good measure.

She glared at her, but Cassie slid her hand over her thigh under the table and squeezed gently. Faye tried not to let it look like she was giving in, but she was so obviously giving in.

“Fine! But I’m telling you, if Jake shows up to join this little party, I won’t be held accountable for my actions.”

“He really should know to back off by now,” Diana agreed, looking to Cassie sympathetically.

“He’s all over you,” Melissa added.

“We don’t need the recap,” Faye snapped.

“I don’t what I’m going to do." Cassie propped her chin up. "Short of actually using my powers on him, I’ve done everything I can to make him know I’m not interested.”

“Maybe an electric shock to his balls will have him finally take a hint," Faye chirped with a smile that was closer to a grimace.

Melissa seemed to think the idea wasn't half bad as she nodded.

“You can’t do that!” Diana exclaimed, horrified. “Cassie…seriously, you wouldn’t do that, right?”

She winced, holding her hands up guiltily. In truth, she’d been thinking about it for a while now. Not electrocuting him, necessarily, but using magic on Jake.

“Cassie!”

“Hey, I think she’s been pretty forgiving up until now,” Melissa said. “But that thing last week was messed up. He shouldn’t have tried to kiss you. It’s a good thing you’re the one with solo magic and not Faye, otherwise he’d be nothing but a pile of ashes right now.”

Diana and Melissa chuckled at the joke, while Cassie glanced at her girlfriend. Faye didn't give anything away, but they both knew just how close to the truth Melissa really was.

“Yep,” Faye agreed tonelessly, “or turned him into a cockroach or something,”

“I’ll take care of Jake,” Cassie said pointedly.

Diana opened her mouth to interject, looking worried, but Cassie beat her to it.

“Not by…cattle prodding him or anything.” She gave Faye a look who only shrugged. “I’ll just take care of it. He’ll know not to try anything with me again.”

She wanted to add “or you” for Faye, but knew better. The brunette would just get angry and defensive, saying that she could take care of herself, that Jake was nothing to her.

They’d been down that road before. Jake was always going to be a sore spot for Faye. The pain he caused her…being her first, then treating her the way he did, the way she let herself believe she deserved to be treated. It was a wound that had only just begun to heal. One day it would simply be another scar to live with, but for now? Jake Armstrong needed to get the hell out of their lives.

“I’ve given him too many chances. Enough is enough.”

Diana sighed. “I guess all I can say is good luck then."

“Promise me I won’t get a call asking for help to bury the body," Melissa said.

Faye's expression was humorless.

“No promises."


	9. Chapter 9

They were at the Boathouse for dinner. There’d been no sign of Jake, for which Cassie was grateful. Adam was at the bar drying glasses, but she didn't mind that. Adam chose to protest their relationship be being surly and taciturn which was fine because it meant he kept his distance and shut his mouth. She really just wanted a break from everyone else and get to spend some time alone with Faye. It felt like forever since they’d gotten a chance to do that. School, parents, and witch hunters just kept getting in the way.

“So you’re coming back to my place tonight, right?”

She toyed with the bloodstone between her fingers, her hand underneath the table. When she found it on her doorstep a couple weeks ago, she slipped it into her pocket without a second thought and she'd been carrying it around ever since. It felt...nice. Despite the whole ominous death threat aspect to it.

“My grandmother’s back on the night shift for a few days so we have it all to ourselves…” She nudged Faye’s foot with her own teasingly under the table.

Faye didn’t seem to notice.

“Sure. Listen, I want to go to the abandoned house after this. I saw a spell in your book yesterday that we haven't tried yet. It looks promising, but potentially lethal.” She caught herself and bit her lower lip. "I mean, ahem, it’s like _mildly risky_ but _not at all_ fatal." Her eyes were wide with exaggerated innocence. "All the ingredients are there and if we blow anything up, we won’t have to worry about explaining it to your grandmother!" she chirped with a grin and tapped her hand. "Are you done with your food yet? We should get going.”

Melissa’s voice echoed in her head. The same feeling gnawed at her stomach. Cassie slipped the stone back into her pocket as she sat back in the booth. Uneasy. Uncomfortable. The thoughts weren’t going away. She could only hold them at bay for so long. The bloodstone felt uncomfortably warm through her clothes.

_“I’ve never seen Faye so happy before… She doesn’t even talk about trying to get her powers back anymore, which is amazing, because ever since we bound the Circle that was ALL she’d been thinking about…”_

The dam burst and Cassie felt sick. _  
_

“You know what? I changed my mind. I’m actually kind of tired so I can’t hang out tonight.”

“Wait, what? I thought we-”

“It’s fine. I’m just gonna go now, okay? See you later.”

Faye stared in disbelief at the empty spot Cassie had just vacated.

“ _This_ is why you don’t date girls,” she muttered to herself.

Looking out the window, she saw Cassie walking quickly to her car and groaned in frustration. Of course she was going to go after her. Throwing some money down on the table, she leapt out of the booth.

“Keep the change, Conant,” she said as she breezed past Adam and out the door.

He glared after her and watched as she ran to catch Cassie.

* * *

“Hey, what was that all about?” Faye closed the car door just as Cassie had opened it.

She sighed. “I’m not in the mood for this, just leave me alone.”

“We had plans!”

“And I’m canceling! I don’t want to hang out with you tonight.”

“You were just talking about going back to your place and then a split second later it’s ‘fuck off, Faye’?”

“All you care about is magic!” she snapped. “How much you can do, how much power you get, that’s all you ever care about. You got what you wanted from me, you don’t have put up the charade anymore.“

"What are you _talking_ about? After everything that’s happened these past months, you're actually going to try to pull that bullshit on me?” Cassie glowered, but said nothing. “Look,” Faye said impatiently, “all I meant was that I wanted to try a new spell before going back to your house. Not that I didn’t want to at all! Are you just really horny or something? I mean, all you had to do was tell me. I would have—”

“Are you insane?” she snapped.

Faye was mind boggled. “ _You’re_ the one acting like the psycho here! Not me!”

She stared at her in disbelief, biting back the tears. It just hurt so much and the anger was too strong to deny. The stone burned against her skin, but she ignored it. “You really don’t care, do you? Not even the slightest bit…” Faye looked flabbergasted and it only hurt more. She tried to keep an even tone, but it didn’t work, everything came out with a shaky tremble. “Fine. Don’t worry, you can keep your solo powers. I won’t stop you. Just...just stay away from me.”

Faye stared at her incredulously. “What the hell is going on? You’re acting like a complete idiot. Can't we leave the melodrama to Adam? At least he _looks_ the part of the sad little emo kid. I think he was wearing mascara tonight.”

Cassie didn't ever hear the joke.

“It seems like I’m really seeing you for the first time in a long time,” she said, “before I let all of _this_ mess with my head. All this time, you’ve just been manipulating me into doing whatever you wanted. And I fell for it. Every time. God.” She put her head in her hands, mussing her hair in the process. “You’ll never change, will you? You know what?” She sighed and put her hands down. “I _am_ an idiot. For believing you ever could.”

Faye sucked in a breath like she'd been gut punched. The look on her face almost made Cassie wish she could take it back.

She could see it happen as if in slow motion. The way Faye retreated into herself. Her expression hardening to stone. The old but familiar icy exterior replacing the warm and playful one she’d so loved experiencing. All the walls going back up, slamming the doors shut on anyone and anything trying to get near her.

Cassie hated that she was the one who made it happen when all she had wanted was to make it go away forever.

“Yeah…” she said coldly and shrugged. “Guess you did make a mistake. Sucks for you.”

Faye backed away a few steps before turning around and headed back into the Boathouse. As Cassie watched her leave, she couldn’t help but feel an increasing sense of dread.

What did she just do?

* * *

After a long, agonizing weekend filled with shame, pain, regret, guilt, and confusion, Cassie stopped at the Java Brew Monday morning on her way to school and ran into Diana in the parking lot. The other girl instantly took notice of the dark bruises underneath Cassie’s eyes that showed several nights of no sleep.

"What happened?”

She shrugged and took a big gulp some of her coffee even though it was still too hot and burned her throat. She was doing her damnedest not to cry.

“Cassie…” she said gently, “I don’t want to sound mean, but you _look_ awful. Tell me. What is it?”

“Faye,” she sighed, her voice trembling. “It’s Faye.”

So much for not crying.

Diana pulled her into her arms and hugged her tightly. Cassie let her. She was almost as tall as Faye, but they smelled different, and she didn’t fit the same way. The reminder just hurt all the more and she cried harder.

“Oh, Cassie. It’s all right. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“I-I think I broke up with her.”

“What? Why?”

She pulled away, sniffling, and wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt. Remembering they were in the middle of a busy parking lot, she tried to get herself together. There was still an entire day of school to contend with.

“I don’t know.”

“How do you not know?”

She could see how hard Diana was trying to be calm and reassuring about it, even though she was completely baffled.

“We had a fight,” Cassie admitted. “I accused her of using me.”

Diana nodded slowly. “And…what did Faye do?”

“What Faye always does.” She scoffed bitterly. “She shut down and ran away.”

“Okay,” Diana clapped her hands together, “coffee isn’t enough for today. I’m taking you back to my house. You’re in no shape to go to school.”

She rolled her eyes. “Diana, I’m not going to throw myself off the roof or anything…”

“No, but being there with Faye around is not going to do you any good either. So come on.” She wrapped her arm around Cassie’s shoulder and walked her to her car. “Now get in, drive to my place, and I’ll be right behind you. Dad’s already gone for work so we’ll just disappear off the face of the earth for today. With lots of junk food and bad daytime TV.”

“You’re going to skip school for me?”

“You’re my friend,” she said as though it were obvious. “I’m here for you…whenever you need me. That’s what friends do.”

“Even if it means skipping school?”

“ _Yes_ ,” she laughed. “Even that. But we won’t make a habit of it.”

“Oh, no. Not ever.”

“Go on,” she waved towards her car. “Right to my house. No pit stops.”

“Diana?” Cassie called after her when the other girl started walking away and waited until she turned around. “Thank you.”

Sighing, Diana came back over in a few long strides and was hugging Cassie again. This time she could actually manage to appreciate the gesture and even find a little bit of comfort in it. Diana was always good at making her feel better.

_Oh, no._

She felt it, but it was too late.

Diana was ripped out of her arms and slammed against Cassie’s car by an invisible force.

“OW!” she cried, rubbing the back of her head. “What the hell was that?”

“I-I don’t know,” Cassie stammered, looking around the parking lot frantically.

_Where was she? Where was she?_

“Did you do that?”

Her eyes snapped back to Diana’s frowning face. “What? No! Of course not!”

“Then who just threw me against the car?”

Cassie whirled around, still searching, and caught a glimpse of dark hair turning round the side of the building.

“I’m gonna find out.”

Diana didn’t get a chance to reply before Cassie had already taken off, dropping her coffee on the pavement.

* * *

“FAYE!” she yelled as she turned the corner, hoping to stop the fleeing girl, but it turned out she didn’t need to. Faye was just waiting there with her arms crossed. “What the hell was that all about?” she said, breathless as she walked up. “You could have hurt her!”

“You’re quite the little rebounder,” Faye said coolly, looking out at the water. “Already on to the next, hm, Cassie?”

She was flabbergasted. “That’s ridiculous. What is wrong with you? Diana’s our friend, nothing more. You know that. …And why am I even explaining myself to you? You just slammed her against a car!”

“Accident,” she sniffed unapologetically.

“You’re _demented_ , Faye. Seriously, seriously, demented.”

“Admit it. You’ve always had an eye out for Diana! You liked her the moment you met her. Not like me.”

“Are you seriously telling me that you’re jealous of _Diana Meade_ , right now?”

“I just saw her all over you! Is that why you made up that stupid argument Friday night? To give yourself an out? So you could have your chance with Little Miss Sunshine?”

“Again, you are _completely_ demented!” Cassie shot back in disbelief. “That night was about me trying to tell you what was wrong, but instead of hearing anything I said, you did nothing but accuse me of lies and run away.” She shook her head bitterly. “Leave Diana alone, Faye. She’s done nothing to you.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why are you!” she retorted heatedly.

All the anger from the other night came rolling back in waves, she could feel it taking over as blood pounded through her veins. She knew there was something else, something stronger and darker, creeping up behind these feelings, but she ignored it, she didn’t care.

“Cassie!” Jake called from somewhere further away behind them.

Faye’s entire body tensed as her eyes locked on something over Cassie’s shoulder. She didn’t even want to turn around.

How the hell did he find them? Cassie shut her eyes tightly, almost growling. He was always doing this crap. Stalking her, showing up out of the blue when no one _ever_ fucking wanted him!

That black fury began to build uncontrollably. It was taking over. Cassie let it.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” he said, coming up to them, “Diana said you were-”

_ENOUGH._

Jake was flying through the air like a rag doll, careened over the railing, and thudded lifelessly somewhere down on the beach.

“CASSIE, NO!” Faye ran to edge of the boardwalk to get a closer look and turned back in horror. “Why did you do that?”

“He was interrupting.” She stalked up next to her.

Jake was lying near the water, surrounded by some rocks jutting out from the sand. He might have been bleeding, but they were too far away to tell. Cassie could see him moving slightly, trying to get up, and the fury spiraled on.

“I am _so_ …sick…and tired…of dealing with this.”

She focused all that rage on the small form down on the beach and when Jake started to convulse like a fish out of water, gasping for air most likely, Cassie didn’t feel anything but an immense sense of satisfaction.

“STOP!” Faye cried and yanked her away from the railing so hard that they both tripped over their own feet. It was enough to break her concentration and Jake was lying still now. Enraged, Cassie turned on Faye. She could feel the energy building inside her, wanting to punish this girl for daring to interfere.

“What are you doing!? Cassie! You’re going to _kill_ him! This isn’t you. Please. You have to control it.”

After the past weekend and how run down she was this morning, emotionally raw, afraid, devastated, it was no wonder how easily her dark magic had been able to slip in.

And right now, she couldn’t care less.

“Why shouldn’t I do it?” she said dully. “We want to get rid of him, don’t we? He’s just a nuisance. Why do we keep letting him bother us when I could take care of it?”

Footsteps came running up and Cassie didn’t have to turn around to know that it was Diana.

“Jake’s down there. Call 911,” Faye said hurriedly and turned back to Cassie. "You just threw him like thirty feet away! Do you even see how deep the drop is here?”

“What do you care? He’s just a cockroach.”

“Cassie,” she said through gritted teeth, “Jake is down there, hurt, _bleeding_. I don't even know if he's still alive. Do you understand that?”

“Yeah. So?”

“ _So_?” Faye stared at her fearfully for a moment then grabbed her by the front of her shirt.

“Get off me!”

It was coursing violently through her veins. She wanted to smash this girl against the damn building.

“Listen to what you just said. Cassie! Stop fighting me. Think about what you just said!” Faye released her shirt and instead took hold of the blonde’s face, rubbing her thumbs over her cheeks soothingly. “Cassie…” she whispered, “stop it. Look at me. _Look_ at me. Please…just look at me.”

She knew that physical pain would pull Cassie out, it worked before, but she hated doing it so much. It made her sick to think of having to hurt her again. There had to be another way. Drawing a deep breath, she cupped the back of Cassie’s head and deliberately caught her gaze. Using their magic, she reached across the void, reached to thread into Cassie’s mind, through the webbed wall of dark magic and deep into the place that had yet to be corrupted inside of her. If she could just _find_ Cassie in there, she knew, somehow, that she would be able to guide her back. But she just hit a wall of black webbing. Cassie’s black magic bloodlust had bricked off all connection with her. Faye had never felt it this strong before. Not even that night in the warehouse. Panic hit her at once, but she bit it back. She had to focus.

Her connection to Cassie meant she could feel what she was feeling, just to a lesser degree. She knew what the dark magic felt like, but the power that Cassie had, power that continued to grow, it was unlike anything else. It was all Faye could do to just resist the call to that darkness as it sought her out too, whispering in her blood. It was the most terrifying yet arousing feeling, knowing she could be sucked into an abyss and seduced by this incredible power. She didn’t stop fighting though. She was going to break through and she was going to bring Cassie back to the surface whether she fucking wanted it or not.

With her gaze locked on Cassie, she pushed harder, but the other girl was getting angrier at Faye’s intrusion. Through their connection, Cassie shoved back forcefully against her and Faye gasped at the shock of it, but doubled her concentration instead. Cassie continued to resist, her fury growing with each passing second. Faye didn’t have much time before Cassie would unleash her full strength and overpower her. She knew it was some semblance of her girlfriend still inside there that was holding back with a white knuckled grip to keep from hurting her. So Faye stopped trying fight against the darkness and, instead, let that black rage flow into her. Shaking from the sheer strength it took not to let it overtake her immediately, she dove ahead of the anger with precious moments to spare and reached out.

_‘Cassie, please. It’s me. Don't shut me out. You know you want to let me in.’_

The bloodlust wavered slightly and Faye surged forward with all her strength, breaking past the webbed wall with a victorious cry in her head. Then she was there, in Cassie's mind and sharing her body. It was her. Small, but still so strong, fighting to keep the last bits of darkness at bay.

_‘Come back to me.’_

She could see the struggle as clearly as she could feel it. The battle between Cassie's light, their Circle, and the blackness that wanted to consume her whole. She joined her strength and they worked together to fight back the tide. Desperate and fearful, Cassie met Faye’s gaze.

"Let it go."

The anger, the blackness that had seized her, finally began to relinquish it’s grip. As it poured away, Cassie started to feel like herself again. She never left Faye’s eyes.

“Faye…” she whimpered, her body going limp, and she fell into the brunette’s arms. Faye lowered them both carefully to the ground. Cassie's head was spinning and she felt like she had a fever.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Faye stroked her hair as she murmured against her ear soothingly. “I’ve got you. It’s going to be okay.”

All Cassie could think of was how she found the right fit again.

* * *

Jake ended up in the hospital for two days with a bad head injury and a broken arm from the fall. Cassie hadn’t spoken to Faye since. After the ambulance left, she just let go of Cassie’s hand and walked away. Faye had been there for her when Cassie needed her, but that didn’t mean things were fixed between them.

When she was getting ready for bed that night, she discovered a tender spot on her hip. Her fingers brushed over raised lines that shouldn't have been there. Looking in the mirror, she saw a brand burned into her skin that was the exact shape and size of the hematite stone. The outline of the crow omen was neatly burned in angry blood red against her pale skin. She should have been worried about what it meant. She should have thrown the gemstone away. She should have asked herself why she felt the need to carry it around with her every day and keep it close by under her pillow every night. But she didn't. By morning, the burn healed over into a white scar, and she didn't give it a second thought.

The days that followed were miserable, guilt-ridden days, with lonely nights, showers where she let herself sob, and a bad encounter with Jake where they argued about her dark magic and how she needed to find a way to get rid of it. Cassie apologized for what happened to him, she never meant to hurt him like that, but he needed to stay out of her life. It wasn’t any of his business and, obviously, getting involved was only going to result in him getting hurt.

They both got so angry with each other, and while they were arguing, Cassie couldn’t help but think of all the things he’d done to Faye - which made it get nastier than it should have. It ended with her telling him to stay out of her life or she was sure he was going to end up dead one way or another.

That seemed to scare him enough to finally shut up. When Cassie walked out of the hospital room, she realized that she had scared herself too. The gemstone burned as they fought and the brand on her hip became an angry red lashing again, seeming deeper than before.

It didn’t help that she got into a similar argument with Adam a few hours later, but instead of blaming dark magic for what happened, he blamed Faye. Cassie slammed the door in his face.

Her grandmother was worried and pressed her a few times about what was wrong. She knew Jake was in the hospital, but all she knew was the story the Circle was telling everyone else.

Jake fell. Accident. Nothing more.

Jane asked about Faye exactly _once_ and Cassie assumed the look on her face was enough of an answer because she didn’t mention Faye again.

Maybe Faye was right to stay away. She was dangerous. Whatever happened between them didn’t really matter anymore. What if it hadn’t been Jake who got the brunt of her dark magic? What if she had used it on Faye? She’d been so close…

That thought terrified her more than anything else.

Yet it didn’t stop her from wishing she could find refuge in Faye's embrace, to have Faye wrap her arms around her and make the rest of world disappear like it always did when they were together.

Cassie was scared and she was alone.

Is that what’s supposed to happen to her? Is that what happened to her father? Or did he welcome the darkness? She would never know. She just knew she couldn't let it happen to her.

* * *

She walked into her room early one the evening, making sure her curtains were closed in case Jake just happened to be around with his ever open window, and undressed to get into her pajamas. Jane had proposed a family night with a home cooked meal, popcorn, and some old movies. Cassie couldn’t think of anything better. It would be nice to spend some time with her grandmother like that, they didn’t get the chance to do it very often.

She had just pulled on her tank top when it got cooler in the room. She checked to see if her window was still closed and it was. Besides, it was spring, the temperature was actually pleasant enough to go out in just a t-shirt. Thinking it strange, but nothing else, she went to her dresser and rummaged through to find a sweatshirt.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she looked up with a start. The mirror above her dresser started to make a crackling noise and she watched with wide eyes as the glass started to frost over from edges until it reached the middle and covered the whole mirror.

“What the…”

Then, as if there was an invisible hand writing, letters began to form in the frosted glass. Like writing on the mirror after a hot shower and the steam fogged everything up.

_Meet me tonight. Where we were bound._

Cassie held her breath. Underneath that, another sentence formed.

_I won't take no for an answer._

The chill in the room left and the words vanished from her mirror.

She never had to wonder who it was from.


	10. Chapter 10

It was after midnight when Cassie finally got to the beach. Jane had fallen asleep a half and hour ago on the couch and she couldn’t sit there for a minute longer. The message on her mirror was all she could think about for the whole night. They went through three movies and Cassie couldn’t tell you a single thing about them. Not even a title.

She didn’t have to search for long because there was a fire glowing like a beacon down towards the end of the beach, away from the docks. Soon she found Faye with her back against a large tree and a few feet in front of her was a small fire pit. It may have been spring, but the nights were still closer to feeling like winter. Cassie wrapped her arms around herself. Whether it was because she was cold or for self-protection, she didn’t know.

“Hey,” she said without looking up, staring into the fire.

“Hi.”

“Kind of later than I was thinking.”

“Yeah, well…” Cassie shrugged and left it at that.

Faye didn’t say anything more. In fact, she still hadn’t bothered to look up.

What was she even doing here? What had she expected? Faye was still acting like Faye. Like she didn’t care. Even if she did.

Why did she always do this to herself? When would she learn? People don’t change.

Bitterness overwhelmed her and Cassie took a few steps back. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have bothered.”

“Wait!”

“Why?” she shot back incredulously. “Why should I stupidly stand around here for another second?”

Faye rose to her feet and dusted the sand off her jeans. “You tell me. You showed up.”

“And I already regret that. Thank you!” She huffed. “Look, Faye, I’m dangerous. You were using me. We’re a disaster. This should never have…” She wavered. “W-we should never have happened, okay?”

She moved to leave, but Faye spoke again, stopping her.

“Don’t. We need to talk about this.”

She turned around reluctantly.

“So I’m supposed to stand around all night until you _deign_ to speak? No! There’s nothing to talk about!”

“I’m sorry!”

“For _what_?” she retorted exasperatedly.

“For…” Faye swallowed thickly, “for _ever_ making you feel like I was using you.”

Cassie’s mouth snapped shut. She didn’t expect that.

“Will you…will you let me show you something?”

The question gave her deja vu. She remembered all too well the last time Faye had asked that of her. The heat of the fire against her skin was branded into her just as it was in her memory, invisible, but present with every day. Like Faye.

“I show better than I tell.”

Afraid her voice might betray her, Cassie simply nodded.

She would let Faye show her.

–

Okay, so when Faye said that she was going “show” her something, Cassie didn’t think she meant this.

“What are you doing?” she cried. “It’s freezing out here!”

Faye shook her head with a teasing smirk and wiggled out of her jeans.

“Seriously, I’m not in the mood for this. You said we needed to talk, _this_ is not talking.”

“Who said we can’t talk while we’re naked? There’s no rule on that.”

“We?” Cassie scoffed. “Oh, no. There’s no ’ _we_ ’ in this!”

Faye’s bra was on the sand now. Cassie was trying not to look and failing miserably.

“You said you’d let me show you.”

“Show me something I’ve already seen?” she retorted. “Many…many times.”

Faye narrowed her eyes and pulled off her underwear, much to Cassie’s disbelief.

“Shut up and take your damn clothes off.”

“No!”

“Fine.” She shrugged and suddenly went running towards the water, squealing as she splashed into the icy harbor.

“FAYE! WHAT THE-” Cassie couldn’t believe her eyes. “You’re going to give yourself hypothermia! It’s freezing!”

“Stop being such a baby and get in here,” she called back, swimming out leisurely under the moonlight.

“Are you _out_ of your ever loving mind?”

“Cassie, I’m serious,” she said calmly. “Take your clothes off and come in.”

“NO!”

“You are so goddamn stubborn!”

“What I am - is _leaving_!” She shook her head and started back.

“I wouldn’t do that…” Faye sang warningly.

Cassie never broke her stride. “And why not?”

_Whoa! Did the temperature just drop like twenty degrees or something?_

Cassie wrapped her arms around herself…only to realize she was holding bare skin and not the snug jacket she had been wearing only seconds before. With a screech, she looked down and saw that she wasn’t just jacket-less, she was _completely naked_.

“FAYE!” she shrieked.

“Better get in the water before somebody sees…”

Cassie desperately tried to cover herself up, but she was helpless. There was nothing around to hide herself with except maybe the tree, but that was hardly anything and it was so cold. How could Faye do this to her?

“I’ll die in that water! I don’t know how you’re still alive, but just yesterday there was still ice on the shoreline!”

“Get. In. The. Water.”

Desperate and without any better option, Cassie whined before spinning around and raced towards the harbor.

_Oh, this is going to hurttttt._

She screwed her eyes shut as tightly as possible and braced herself for the icy splash of pain that awaited. It never happened.

The water was _warm_.

* * *

Cassie dove under as quickly as she could and came up gasping. Steam was rising off the surface, colliding with the cool night air. Why hadn’t she seen that before? The water wasn’t even salty. She was skinny dipping in Chance Harbor and it had been transformed into the most incredible hot tub she’d ever been in.

Faye was floating on her back and rolled her eyes when Cassie finally swam over.

“You made it warmer,” she said in amazement.

“Duh.”

“You changed it to freshwater too?”

“Who wants a salty hot bath?”

“It’s not…the WHOLE harbor is it? I mean, even with both of us, we couldn’t…we’re not strong enough for that.”

“I didn’t try, but we probably could.” Faye wiggled her eyebrows eagerly. “Want to do it?”

“No! We’ll mess up the wildlife or something. Kill fish. Lots of them.”

“Whatever.” She shrugged.

“So…”

“Swim a few feet that way,” Faye answered before Cassie even formed the question, tilting her head to show her the direction.

She hesitated, but when Faye nodded again, Cassie relented and started swimming. When there was some space between them and nothing out of the ordinary happened, she looked back at Faye impatiently. The brunette didn’t even look at her, instead just waved her on further. Growing tired of this game, Cassie reluctantly continued. When she got about ten feet away, she was met with a sudden blast of icy cold murkiness. It was such a visceral shock from the pleasant warmth that she kicked away from it as hard as she could.

“I made a circle around us,” Faye explained as she swam back. “Fitting, right? Cross the boundary and you’ll get that dreaded _hypothermia_ you were whining about before.”

“You know…you could have just told me about what you did.”

“And ruin the fun of being able to watch you run around naked on the beach like a spooked baby meerkat?”

“A meerkat?” she echoed in disbelief.

“It was the first thing that came to mind…” Faye grinned. “I don’t know why you’re insulted, they’re cute!”

“How was a _meerkat_ the first thing to come to mind!?”

“The _point_ is, you were supposed to trust me.”

“I didn’t.”

“Obviously.”

“And that’s something you…” Cassie hesitated before finishing, “want to work on?”

They were deep enough that she had to tread water, but Faye could easily stand. The brunette merely nodded.

“ _Okay_.” Cassie replied with heavy exhale. “I still don’t see what us swimming naked in the middle of the night has to do with that though.”

“Alright.” Faye straightened her shoulders, preparing herself for something, Cassie didn’t know what. “I’m…I’m going to talk now and try to explain it, but it’s really hard for me to say so you need to keep your mouth shut, deal?”

“Deal.”

“Okay, um…” She took a deep breath, moving her arms back and forth through the water, and looked straight into Cassie’s eyes. “You don’t really understand it yet because this is so new to you, but magic has been a part of me for almost my whole life. I knew what I could do before Diana ever found her book of Shadows. I didn’t understand it or what I was, but I was different. I had something in me that no one else did. I was special.” She sighed. “It’s not the same for you because you’ve just had this thrown at you now. You can remember a life outside of being a witch, you _had_ that life. I didn’t. Magic…it feels so much a part of me that it’s like if I didn’t have it, it would be the same as not breathing. I would die.”

Cassie was still treading water, drifting in tiny circles. “Taking away magic doesn’t kill a witch.”

“But it does,” Faye insisted. “It kills off a part of us, deep inside, that we can never get back. I don’t know how our parents handled losing their magic. Sometimes, I try to write off my Mom’s tyrant ways because of it, blame it on that. I even wonder what she was like before she lost it, if she was different. Not to mention Adam and Diana’s Dads… What were they like before the fire? Before they lost their wives and their magic? Ethan Conant wasn’t always a loser and a drunk. Or maybe he just wasn’t always a drunk, the loser part however…” She rolled her eyes. “And Charles Meade? I don’t think he was always so cold, so distant. Those men mourn two deaths, the mothers of their daughters and their magic.”

“Faye…”

She was drifting closer to her in the water, bridging the gap between them.

“I’m trying to explain it, okay? I need you to understand how important magic is in my life, not just the power, but it’s…”

“A part of you…” Cassie nodded understandingly, “but magic doesn’t make you _who_ you are.”

“Doesn’t it? Think about it, Cassie. If we weren’t witches, don’t you think all of us would change in some deeply fundamental way? Look at the two of us, what we can do, what we share. Our feelings for each other and our magic are so entwined, I don’t know if you could even tear the two apart. It _is_ who we are.”

Cassie couldn’t stand it any longer, with one small push forward, she was able to wrap her arms around Faye’s shoulders, her legs around the taller girl’s waist. Their bodies slid against each with delicious wet friction and Faye swallowed hard, curling her arms around Cassie’s waist to held hold her there. With a small smile, she spun them around slowly and moved out into even deeper water so they were covered up to their necks.

The blonde sighed in relief. Just to be to touching Faye like this again, being in her arms, feeling her flesh against her own, it was the greatest comfort she knew. She had missed it so dearly these last few days, but didn’t truly know how much until she had it again.

Cassie pulled away a few strands of wet hair that was stuck to Faye’s cheek, before saying softly, “You said it yourself, I had a life without it. Magic doesn’t define all that we are.”

“You had a life without _conscious_ knowledge of it,” Faye countered, “but it was always there, running through your veins,” she ran her hand up Cassie’s naked back and gently raked her nails across her skin, “in your blood, your soul, wherever it comes from. If it had been torn out of you…”

Cassie shivered though she wasn’t cold. At first she had only been able to focus on Faye’s touch, but then those words… The words alone had struck something inside her that made her feel wrong, sickly.

_Torn out of you…_

And they were only words.

“I was using you at first, when we started practicing,” Faye admitted. “I didn’t care about anything but the next chance to do a spell, to use what felt like was going to waste every day inside of me. But it changed. And you know exactly how, because it changed for you too.”

Cassie looked around them, surrounded by darkness, a small light from the shore, dock lights in the distance, boats anchored in the harbor, the little dots of light from houses where people where still awake at this hour.

They were doing something that normal lovers would do, skinny dipping at night, talking, teasing, and spinning around in each other’s arms. This is what Faye was trying to show her. Tonight was about them, about being together, but magic was a part of it too. Not the _purpose_ , not even close, but it was _present_ , as it always would be. Just as she woke and ate and breathed and lived, magic was with her every step of the way.

“You thought I was thinking the same way,” Cassie murmured to herself. “That _us_ and _magic_ just went hand in hand. You thought I understood that.”

“It took me a while after you flipped out on me to figure it out. It just never occurred to me… It was just something I knew. I had no idea you didn’t.”

Cassie dropped her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I know what it’s like to be used. Discarded. Used again. Discarded again.” She chuckled mirthlessly. “I would never do that to you, Cassie. I never _could_ do that to you.”

“I _want_ to trust you,” she said helplessly.

“I know,” she nodded, “and I also know where to start: the same place I started trusting you.”

“And that was?”

“When you let me into you.”

Cassie frowned at her curiously for a moment, trying to figure it out, and then her eyes widened.

“Oh. No. No! We can’t do that. Not now.” She shook her head vehemently. “Faye, not after what just happened, we don’t know what my dark magic-”

“I know the thing with Jake scared you, but-”

“It scared you more.”

“We’ll call it a tie,” she said hastily. “But I trust you. You won’t hurt me. You didn’t that day.”

“I wanted to,” she whispered.

“Oh, _believe me_ , I could tell. But you didn’t.”

“I could have.”

“But you _didn’t_.”

“And you’re willing to risk it again? You saw what happened to Jake! I can’t let you get hurt Faye, not because of me, not ever.”

“I am _not_ Jake,” she shot back heatedly. “Give me more credit. I need to do this. _We_ need to do this. It may not work, but I have to try.”

“You want me to connect with you? Try to draw the Circle’s magic? I’ve tried it, Faye!” She cried. “You’re so disconnected, you’ve never even felt it before.”

“Maybe this time will be different. Is it really so bad to try again?”

“Yes! It’s dangerous now!”

Cassie tried to slip out of her arms, but Faye clutched her more tightly. She didn’t want her going anywhere. Honestly, if Cassie really wanted to get away, she could have easily escaped the slippery embrace. But she didn’t.

“You had the same dark powers before.”

“I wasn’t out of control.”

“You didn’t have the opportunity to get out of control.”

“You really want to do this?”

“Yes!”

Cassie leaned her forehead against Faye’s and exhaled. After a long moment, she finally nodded her consent.

_Okay. They could try._

“Try to start up the fire again that I had on the beach.”

“Fire?” she replied nervously. “W-what if it gets out of control? What if it explodes in some giant…fire bomb…thing?”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing we’re _in the water_ …” Faye said dryly.

Cassie made a face.

“Just try. That’s all. If you feel the dark magic pulling at you, _stop_. Let yourself calm down and then try it again. Don’t let it get control. This is the Circle’s magic you want.”

“No one else in the Circle can do this.”

“We can.”

“ _I_ can. What if it’s because of my dark magic that I can do that for you? What if that’s the difference?”

“And what if your theory about the beginning of our Circle is right? About our ancestors at the start of each family line being able to join like this? Stop arguing with me already!”

Cassie met her gaze. The moonlight was bright enough that she could still see every color reflected there. How could she have ever thought Faye’s eyes were dark? They were such a rich, lovely hazel. Sometimes she thought they were more green than they were brown. Had Faye’s eyes changed from that mahogany she used to see or had the way she saw Faye changed?

“I’m scared.”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know-”

“Goddammit!” Faye cried in frustration and yanked Cassie to her mouth. She kissed her deeply, purposefully, and didn’t let up until they were both gasping for air.

Cassie was glassy eyed as she licked her lips, tasting Faye there. “Getting me to shut up?” she breathed.

“It’s the only way to do it.”

“All right,” she said softly and traced her fingertips along Faye’s cheek, “let’s try it.”


End file.
